Libertarian Marxism: An Appeal for Revolutionary Democratic Socialism
-Khaver
There are many varieties of leftist tendencies existing today, many of these overlap and some of them do not. I would like to make an appeal for a "new" designation, not a new ideology; rather, a new way of expressing an old idea. I suggest the term "Revolutionary-Democratic-Socialism." Please allow me to explain why I believe the term Democratic Socialism, qualified with the adjective Revolutionary, is the most appropriate designation for radical socialism in 21st century America.
First, Socialism is synonymous with democracy; in fact it is significantly more democratic than bourgeois democracy in that socialism promotes democracy in both the economic and public or political spheres of society. Democratic organization of labor is the prerequisite for the democratic organization of political life. It is not my purpose to tell you why bourgeois democracy is a farce because I will assume, since you subscribe to a page entitled Libertarian Marxist Musings, that you already know. However, I merely want to establish why emphasizing the inherent democratic nature of socialism is essential for promoting socialism in the United States today. If you subscribe, like I do, to Marx's materialism, than I do not have to further elaborate the importance of meeting the people where they are; rather than where you want them to be. Failing to do so would cause one to trail of into making both right and left errors in our organizing. Thus, the term Democratic Socialism, in my opinion is the most accessible means reaching the people today.
Second, is the term revolutionary; which I believe to be absolutely crucial for our purpose. Revolutionary Democratic Socialism is not reformism; it is not the social-democratic heresy promoted by Bernstein or the renegade Kautsky; rather the revolutionary nature of democratic socialism, unlike the "democratic socialism" of Bernie Sanders, is that unlike Sander's reformism, our democratic socialism calls for a transition out of capitalism towards socialism. It is not a reactionary ideology that seeks to permit the engine of capitalism to be steered by a so-called socialist. Rather, Revolutionary Democratic Socialism calls for the immediate transition out of capitalism to socialism through a democratic, yet revolutionary process. Let me explain.
According the material conditions of 21st Century America, a move towards re-organizing enterprises in a democratic manner is the first process. Instead of capitalist organization of enterprises, in which labor is beholden to capitalists who seeks to maximize profit by cutting the cost of labor, promoting automation, and generating surplus to be distributed to shareholders; a socialist or democratically organized enterprise would be, what Dr. Richard Wolff calls a Worker-Self-Directed-Enterprise, in which the workers themselves own and manage the means of production. This is in step with Marx, who advocated for workplace democracy in his Civil War in France--a classic text of libertarian Marxist thought.
This approach towards democratizing the enterprise must occur through both grassroots organizing and campaigning; but it also must occur through a political movement in the shape of a party. This dual approach is exactly in line with the political and philosophical teachings of Rosa Luxemburg, whose form of communism was described as "revolutionary-democratic-socialism from below" Hal Draper from his work The Two Souls of Socialism. It could be argued, and very successfully, that the Revolutionary Democratic Socialism that I am advocating for is simply "Luxemburgism" in the 21st Century.
-Khaver Revolutionary
-Khaver
Revolutionary Democratic Socialism is both a dialectical and materialistic approach towards transitioning out of capitalism towards socialism. The term itself is meant to differentiate the reformism of social democracy and proletarian socialism of the 20th century. Whereas Social Democrats of the West abandoned the scientific socialism of Marx and Engels for the welfarism of John Maynard Keynes; the Socialists of the late USSR and modern China succumbed to reformism and a restoration of capital. The reason for the the failures of 20th century socialism is both difficult and complex; however, the failure of socialism to triumph over capitalism in the 20th century resulted in capitals unfettered domination of the globe. It is therefore both necessary and imperative that the socialist left examine the failures of international socialism and apply the lessons learned to the 21st Century.
The United States of America is the dominant imperialist power in the world today. As the US continues to destabilize the globe, the dialectic continues to turn. The inherent contradictions of capital have resulted in gross income inequality, deteriorating race relations, acceleration of class antagonisms, sexism, and an alarming rise in white supremacy, anti-semitism, and islamophobia. Furthermore, the Wall Street Bailout that was suppose to solve the economic crises and uplift the mass of people devastated by the crash of 2008 has completely failed. Where is the political response in opposition to capital? The reformism of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn, although a welcome change from the capital friendly policies of the Democratic and Republican parties of the United States and the Labour and Conservative parties of Great Britain; have proven to be no match to the staunch domination that the capitalists have in Washington and London. The answer to the crisis of capitalism cannot be resolved by petty reformism, liberalism, or fascism. Rather, it is necessary that the left unify around a concrete practical and radical platform that aims to dismantle the capitalist state and transition out of capitalism towards genuine democracy both political and economic. That platform is revolutionary democratic socialism. Revolutionary Democratic Socialism is the movement for the 21st Century.
What is the distinguishing qualifier between revolutionary democratic socialism and social democracy? It is that revolutionary democratic socialists seeks to immediately construct the mechanisms needed to transition out of capitalism towards genuine socialism. These mechanism will vary in accordance to the material conditions; however, one of the first and most important steps will be to democratize the economy through the establishment of workers’ councils as the bases for the reorganization of the nation’s economic life. Worker-Self-Directed-Enterprises or Worker Cooperatives will be a revolutionary democratic socialism from below and form a revolutionary and democratic check of power on the state’s national political power. This dual approach of grassroots local political and economic organizing with national political organs is the logical vehicle for achieving socialism in a free and democratic manner without the need for physical violence nor compromising of the gains of the revolution.
Revolutionary Democratic Socialism is a Libertarian Socialist tendency out of the Libertarian Marxist tradition. In many ways it is a synthesis of the de leonism and council communism; however, it also resembles the revolutionary traditions of Rosa Luxembourg and can therefore be considered a form of Luxembourgism in the 21st Century. However one wishes to identify or define it, revolutionary democratic socialism is the logical means by which the west can transition out of capitalism towards socialism.