Left communism

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Left communism, also known as left-wing communism, is an ultra-left political position. Left communism is a form of communist thought and action that forms from the concrete theory and practice of revolutionary communist organizing. It is thought to be related to petit-bourgeois revolutionism which "smacks of, or borrows something from, anarchism."

Left communists have historically rejected struggle in reactionary trade unions and bourgeois parliamentary institutions and/or elections. This is because left communists think engaging or making compromises with these institutions would be counter-revolutionary. This conflicts with the concrete struggle that the Bolsheviks waged in these institutions to effectively organize and raise class consciousness.

Historical Context

Left communism forms from the inclusion of revolutionary petit-bourgeois ideas into the concrete struggle for communism. This means that the history of left communism is dialectically related to the history of communism itself. Vladimir Lenin further established the term and defined it in his pamphlet "Left-Wing" Communism: An Infantile Disorder, originally published May 12th, 1920.

One historical example of left wing communism would be in the aftermath of the of 1917 Russian Revolution and the split that occurred between the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, and the Left Communists, led by Rosa Luxemburg, that occurred within the Russian Communist Party. The Bolsheviks advocated for a centralized party structure and a transitional socialist state while the Left Communists criticized the Bolsheviks authoritarianism as well the establishment of a Vanguard party.^{[citation needed]}

Ideology of Left Communism

"Anti-Authoritarianism"

There's a strong emphasis on grassroots democracy, self-organization as well as the rejection of hierarchical structures. It also opposes the concentration of power in a centralized state or a party apparatus, as they view it as being prone to "authoritarianism" and the alienation of the working class. This principle is very similar to Anarchism due to their distinctive "anti-authoritarianism" stance.

Class Autonomy

There's a strong emphasis of the independent class struggle of the working class, that's free from any alliances or the compromising with the Bourgeoisie or other political forces. They reject Collaborating with liberal or reformist parties as they argue with the need to maintain their autonomy and the revolutionary character of the Proletariat.

Internationalism

Similar to Marxism–Leninism, Left Communists have been known to be advocates of international solidarity and revolution. Followers of Left-Communism argue that socialism can't be achieved within national boundaries as well as criticizing the nationalist tendencies that've been historically present in leftist movements.

Critique of the Party

Left Communists often question the role that a vanguard party would have as a revolutionary agent. They argue that even if a party has the best intentions, can still become detached from the working class and develop bureaucratic tendencies that would undermine the emancipatory goals that communism has.

Criticism of Mainstream Socialist and Communist Movements

Left Communists have been known to criticize movements that are socialist or communist, especially those that are associated with Social democracy and Leninism. It argues that social-democracy has been coopted by capitalism, and that it fails to challenge the basic structures of exploitation. However, they also believe that the Leninist Vanguardism can lead to the reproduction of hierarchical and authoritative structures, instead of genuine proletarian emancipation.

Other ideological beliefs that Left Communists have would be the criticizing of a transitional state or a Dictatorship of the proletariat as a DOTP can be a potential source of oppression as well as a deviation from the true goal of communism. Left Communists have been known to argue that while the state can initially be established to protect the revolution, can still become a tool of repression and bureaucracy that can hinder the establishment of a classless society.

Further Reading

• Vladimir Lenin (1920). “Left-Wing” Communism: an Infantile Disorder. Progress Publishers. [MIA]