Left Communism, Council Communism, Bordigism, and Syndicalism – What are the Differences?
- Thread starter PTK
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petee
no gods, no malarkey
here's a primer on council communism I happen to have re-read recently
libcom.org
councilism and syndicalism are at root organizational ideas, the former asserting that local commitees of workers from different industries should set agendas, the latter that unions of workers in individual industries should.
on bordigism:
libcom.org
and left communism is a theory about the party, though the ICT has this specifically
hope to see other posts!
Council Communism
Council communism is a theory of working-class struggle and revolution which holds that the means that workers will use to fight capitalism, overthrow it, and establish and administer communist society, will be the workers' councils.
councilism and syndicalism are at root organizational ideas, the former asserting that local commitees of workers from different industries should set agendas, the latter that unions of workers in individual industries should.
on bordigism:
Bordigism
and left communism is a theory about the party, though the ICT has this specifically
Background on the Italian Communist Left, Bordiga and Bordigism
https://www.leftcom.org/files/images/1921-01-21-livorno.jpg (The following text was originally written for the US magazine Discussion Bulletin and did actually appear in its final edition. It was written as a reply to a text published in an earlier edition of the same magazine. This was written...
www.leftcom.org
hope to see other posts!
hitmouse
Did do all Google car mistakes
Terms are tricky! I'd broadly see left communism as an umbrella term covering both Bordigism and council communism, Bordigism as being the more pro-party variant and council communism as the more anti-party, and then syndicalism as coming from a totally different tradition, even if they share some conclusions - I think most (all?) leftcoms would say that unions cannot be revolutionary, which syndicalists would tend to disagree with.
These might be some help:
libcom.org
libcom.org
libcom.org
These might be some help:
3. A Crash Course in Ultra-Leftology
4. Leninism and the Ultra-Left
The story of our origins - Gilles Dauvé
Dauve traces the emergence of the ultra-left current in the aftermath of WWI and the failure of the Russian and German Revolutions.
danny la rouge
More like *fanny* la rouge!
Council communism is an historical tradition of left communism that ended up reaching the same conclusions as anarchist communism via a different route. I have been heavily influenced council communist writers.
Left communism is a broader category of anti parliamentary anti-Bolshevist Marxism.
Bordigism is the Italian variant thereof, influenced by the circumstances in Italy at the time, specifically opposition to fascism.
Left communism is a broader category of anti parliamentary anti-Bolshevist Marxism.
Bordigism is the Italian variant thereof, influenced by the circumstances in Italy at the time, specifically opposition to fascism.
hitmouse
Did do all Google car mistakes
...And, indeed, famously, opposition to antifascism. I suppose that's another notable difference between left communism and syndicalism, sure syndicalists would have their criticisms of some aspects of antifascism but you've also had things like DAM being part of AFA, or indeed famously the CNT being part of a fairly notable antifascist struggle in their day, which leftcoms would probably refuse to endorse.
In terms of distinguishing features of left communism, there's their positions on the unions, nationalism/national liberation, and parliament/electoralism, are there any other really big ones? Oh, and antifascism. (If anyone's not sure what the left communist line on any of those things is, it's the classic Marxist position.)
hitmouse
Did do all Google car mistakes
Yes, if only cos both of those categories have quite fuzzy definitions. I think a lot of anarchists and/or syndicalists are at least Marxian, in terms of thinking his analysis of capital and so on is useful, obviously they wouldn't tend to favour the party form that most Marxists have favoured but then, as discussed above, the likes of Pannekoek weren't too keen on parties either, and they were definitely Marxists, or at least understood themselves as such.
I suppose there's also the De Leonists, who were Marxists in the IWW who also favoured the existence of a party (and if we want to get really picky about labels, the IWW technically never called itself syndicalist, but same thing really). James Connolly was probably the most historically notable figure to be involved with that lot.
Oh, and this chapter from Fighting For Ourselves is probably also worth a read, contemporary anarchosyndicalists looking at their similarities and differences with council communism:
2. Radical currents in the workers' movement
hitmouse
Did do all Google car mistakes
Fuck my life, the weather was fine all morning but it's proper chucking it down now, no way am I walking all the way up to Aldi in these conditions. I think if there's one important lesson to learn from this thread, it's that you should always go to Aldi first and then dick around on the internet answering questions about council communism later, not the other way around.
PTK
Paul Kegan
Very good!
hitmouse
Did do all Google car mistakes
A fun fact (not actually that fun) is that cos I encountered the not-particularly-glamourous reality of the British left first and then esoteric theory second, when I first heard the term council communism I assumed it must be a term for communists whose main focus is on trying to get elected to the local council, a la the British road to socialism, TUSC and so on. A bit like how "sewer socialism" was an old US term for socialists who were focused on what we might call dogshit politics today, and does not actually refer to socialism as practiced by teenage mutant ninja turtles or similar creatures. Right, the weather's cleared up so I should really go to Aldi now.
petee
no gods, no malarkey
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
Come the revolution it will be too rainy to go to Waitrose…
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
PTK
Paul Kegan
Well, Sparks will certainly not be invited to perform at the Left Communist fund raiser.
danny la rouge
More like *fanny* la rouge!
petee
no gods, no malarkey
3. False theories of the party | International Communist Current
What you're not supposed to pay attention to is the following . . . all the variants of left communism (including council communism) are overly collectivist. They do not value the freedom and autonomy of the individual. They do not care about hierarchy. But they do value centralisation in their own way. Because of this I'd say that they would probably just be more 'representative' government.
What's needed is anarchism. The freedom and autonomy of the individual and respect for minorities, rather than just the rule of the majority. And genuine decentralisation. Unfortunately, today (especfially it seems in Britain and the US) many of the so-called 'anarchists' (in the formal 'anarchist' scene) are more like just a variant of left communists rather than being actual anarchists.
What's needed is anarchism. The freedom and autonomy of the individual and respect for minorities, rather than just the rule of the majority. And genuine decentralisation. Unfortunately, today (especfially it seems in Britain and the US) many of the so-called 'anarchists' (in the formal 'anarchist' scene) are more like just a variant of left communists rather than being actual anarchists.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
PTK
Paul Kegan
The39thStep
Urban critical thinker
What about the freedom and autonomy of the individual to go on regular jaunts abroad?
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
Well, my Urban anarchist friends, that’s you telt. Good and proper.
Bet you all feel pretty foolish now you have had the benefit of enlightenment.
Hopefully this poster will now turn their laser like analysis on wanky reformism next.
PTK
Paul Kegan
It's all collectivist holiday camps, I am sorry to say. Minorities will be required to expose their knobbly knees, whether they want to or not.
petee
no gods, no malarkey
wait'll he hears about joe biden!
mojo pixy
שיר חדש
Everybody cares about hierarchy. I don't think it's even possible to have an organization composed of humans, where there is no hierarchy. Time served, skill sets, charisma and popularity, articulacy etc. Even without explicit ranks within a group, hierarchies always develop unless specific measures are put in place to discourage that. Even then, people find ways around them because we, humans, like hierarchy. It makes us feel secure.
Plus there's normally a minority who like it because they will always top it, by virtue of time served, skill sets, or charisma and popularity. For such people, 'freedom' really only applies to them, not others.
Anarchists are not immune to this IME.
Serge Forward
Just enjoyin' my coffee.
True, anarchists are not immune. Groups like the ACG and, I would assume, Anarcom are fully aware of the potential in groups to form unofficial hierarchies and that's why they develop exactly the kind of 'specific measures' of which you speak. But then GS knows all this as he's a former member of both organisations... or his 'mate' is
Kevbad the Bad
Amiable Bowel Syndrome
This is precisely why people adhere to anarchistic doctrines. Because of the realisation that power corrupts.
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