Libertarian Socialism

Not to be confused with Social Libertarianism or Liberal Socialism.

"If we don't believe in free expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all."

Noam Chomsky

Libertarian Socialism (Also known as Free Socialism) encompasses a wide range of ideologies, but mainly rejects the conception of socialism as a statist form where the state bureaucracy retains centralized control of the economy. Workers within a libertarian socialist society have Direct Democratic control over the means of production. Some types of Libertarian Socialism believe that Markets can exist within a Socialist society, as a libertarian form of Market Socialism, while others, such as Libertarian Marxism, and Anarcho-Communism, do not. Some Libertarian Socialists wish to abolish the state altogether, like the aforementioned Anarcho-Communism, while others, such as Minarcho-Socialism believe that a small state can exist within a libertarian socialist framework.

History

Emergence

Libertarian Socialism was first emerged during the Enlightenment in France. When Marxist and Socialist ideologies first became popular in Europe, Libertarian Socialism was gaining popularity as well and it formed it own faction in the First International, which became the anti-authoritarian faction. Mikhail Bakunin, leader of the libertarian socialist faction rejected the idea of a "dictorship of the proletariat" as he said it would make a new ruling class, which would oppress the working class, which soon lead to its ejection by the Marxist factionFile:Orengels.png at the Hague Congress in 1872.

20th century

In the early part of this period, libertarian socialism was equal in influence to both social democracy and communism. Demonstrating this influence was the formation of the Anarchist International, which drew in many anti-capitalists. Using this new organizational power, they were able to position themselves against both of their ideological rivals for the next 50 years.

Before the Russian Revolution, libertarian socialists played a crucial role in campaigning for land reform, and against Tsarist authoritarianism. These campaigns were led by the Narodniks, the Left Social Revolutionary Party, and various anarchist collectives. These campaigns helped to instigate the Russian Revolutions of 1905 and 1917. Unfortunately, in the latter revolution, when the Bolsheviks seized control, they purged libertarian socialists left and right, leading to their political irrelevancy in Russia.

In the 1936 Spanish Revolution, the CNT was crucial to the subsequent creation of libertarian socialist communities and collectives within that country. These collectives allowed delegates to take charge in certain situations, with the caveat of direct recall. Unfortunately for the CNT, when Francisco Franco came to power in Spain, the CNT went into a rapid decline.

Post-World War II

After the war, the ideology was ostracized from the labor movement, at least in part due to its inability to wrest control over unions from communists, social democrats, or business unionists. Additionally, because of the seeming ease at which reformist unions gained their rights, they felt no need to engage in the radical politics espoused by libertarian socialists.

Beliefs

Libertarian Socialism is a anti-authortarian and anti-capitalist ideology that advocates for social and economic equality.

Socialism

In something that separates them from authoritarian socialists, libertarian socialists believe in worker ownership of the means of production, workplace democracy, and workers cooperatives. Libertarian socialists see state socialist concepts such as state ownership of the means of production as equal to State capitalism. Like other socialists, Libertarian socialists are highly opposed to capitalist economics, as they see capitalism as a manifestation of human greed that must be overthrown in a social revolution.

Opposition to authoritarianism

Libertarian Socialism believes true Socialism can’t be achieved without a direct democracy, and opposes bureaucracy and parliamentarianism. Libertarian socialists believe in the upholding of civil liberties like freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Many libertarian socialists believe in a socialist society with a reduced amount of government power.

She also believes most of former socialist governments have been corrupted by tyranny and capitalism, like The People’s Republic of China or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Variants

Libertarian Market Socialism

Flag of Libertarian Market Socialism

Libertarian Market Socialism (LibMarkSoc) is an economically left-wing, libertarian, and generally culturally progressive ideology who can be described as a more moderate version of Mutualism. LibMarkSoc believes in the libertarian principle of limited government combined with the economic view that while the means of production should belong to the workers who use them, goods and services should be provided through a market economy contributed to by worker-owned businesses and co-ops. They support local direct democracy, with a limited, higher-level federal government.

Libertarian Marxism

Flag of Libertarian Marxism

Libertarian Marxism (LibMarx) is an economically far-left, libertarian, revolutionary, internationalist, and progressive ideology that supports worker ownership of the means of production and eventual transition into a stateless, moneyless, and classless society as per typical Marxist thought, however, he supports a decentralized approach where the working class leads the revolution themselves as opposed to acting with the aid of a vanguard party, and strongly emphasizes the libertarian and anti-authoritarian aspects of Marx's writings, specifically in his later work. It is almost always coupled with culturally left leanings.

Personality

The epitome of "fuck you, I won't do what you tell me". Annoys other socialists by complaining about how statist they are. Hangs out with other non-capitalist LibLeft ideologies a lot, although they frequently ignore them when they get into debates.

Really into punk rock and RATM.

Is the older Sibling of Right-Libertarianism

Is the child of Libertarianism and Socialism

Is also obviously autistic

How to Draw

Flag of Libertarian Socialism

1. Draw a ball
2. Draw an alternating pattern of red and a near-black stretching from the edge and meeting at the center, with 10 segments.
3. Draw a star with the reverse colors in the center of the ball.
4. Fill in the star and clean up the edges.
5. Add the eyes and you're done!

Color Name		HEX	RGB
	Red	#FF0000	rgb(255, 0, 0)
	Black	#141414	rgb(20, 20, 20)

Relationships

Comrades

• Socialism - Dad! Though you can be a bit statist sometimes, we still get along otherwise.
• Minarcho-Socialism - My more extreme sibling.
• Ricardian Socialism - A good predecessor and one of the earliest to acknowledge the labor as a key source of wealth.
• Anarcho-Collectivism - One of my first friends. We're still close.
• Anarcho-Communism - My breadpilled, and most successful comrade.
• Anarcho-Syndicalism - My comrade that has watched Noam Chomsky on YouTube too many times.
• Left-Wing Market Anarchism - My slightly edgy pal. We started at different points and came to similar conclusions.
• Social Anarchism - RIP David Graeber.
• Autonomism - Finally, someone who also gets the right conclusion from reading Marx. Why do you dislike the unions though?
• Alter-Globalism - Yeah, let's teach the world to sing in harmony together!
• Anti-Authoritarianism - Helps me beat up fascists and protects me from tankies.
• Bundism - Jewish best friend.
• Council Communism - The second most based marxist.
• Democratic Confederalism - Much love for Rojava.
• Democratic Socialism - Establishmentarian in the parliaments who lacks revolutionary potential, but he too values socialism and freedom and we get along pretty well!
• Diggerism - Definitely the best product of the English Revolution, shame the landlords suppressed you.
• Guild Socialism - Very good friend of mine with similar goals, even if he does have a slight obsession with the Middle Ages.
• Independence Anarchism - Catalonia will be free once more!
• Left-Wing Populism - We walk together at protest marches. For the many, not the few!
• Liberation Theology - Now that's the kind of religion I approve. Christ was the original revolutionary!
• Catholic Workerism - They get what I mean, even if they're a little too socially conservative. Hope you and him won't get at each other's throats like the last time...
• Libertarian Municipalism - Long live Comrade Bookchin.
• Libertarian Possibilism - A bit too moderate, but a great buddy nonetheless.
• Localism - Power to the communities!
• Luxemburgism - The ultimate choice is, indeed, between socialism and barbarianism.
• Marxist Feminism - Women of the world, unite!
• Mutualism - The original Anarchist.
• Neozapatismo - He runs the EZLN with my ideas.
• Proutism - My pro-market friend from India.
• Queer Anarchism & Anarcha-Feminism - Unless there is equality for all, there is no equality at all.
• Radical Democracy and Direct Democracy - The best forms of democracy.
• Syndicalism - Power to the unions!
• Civil Libertarianism - Look, we're both for human rights and freedom, but you're just too squeamish and a bit too averse to any violence. I mean, good luck getting a revolution through posting the dirty laundry of the establishment on the net. Either way, thanks for helping me with legal defence and publishing my exposés.
• Insurrectionary Anarchism - And you appear to have the inverse problem. I like your willingness to fight the establishment until your last breath but you seem a little too trigger-happy. So uh... calm down and provide at least some plan for what comes next, OK, buddy? Still I appreciate how most of you support me.
• Patchwork - Freetown Christiania is an awesome project!
• Soulism - A good fellow, if a little weird at times. What did you add to the MJ you gave me last time?
• Situationism - Another good acquaintance.

Frenemies

• Jacobinism - Your trailblazing of popular revolutions will never be forgotten... but, for the love of goodness, STOP GUILLOTINING EVERYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH YOU!
• Lassalleism - Cousin, we agree on a number of issues but how am I 'utopian' when I came closer to reality in a lot more societies than you?
• Trotskyism - I'm not ready to forgive you for betraying my cousins ( Kronstadt and Makhnovia anyone?), but at least you resisted Stalin.
• Agrarian Socialism - The SRs were great mostly, and Zapata and Villa provided a lot of inspiration for some of my followers, but Kerensky and Greeley are meh at best.
• Conservative Socialism - A conservative guy, but aside from cultural stance, you're just a bit authoritative.
• De Leonism - We agree on the opposition towards bureaucratic despotism, but why so much hatred towards unions?
• Frankfurt School - Focuses on theory (specifically critical theory) a little too much, but we still keep friendly. I'm concerned that some of your modern followers flirt excessively with the establishment, though.
• Guevarism - Let's just say that you weren't good at picking role models. Still, thanks for inspiring the younger generations!
• Ho Chi Minh Thought - I rooted for you during the war, but I'm not so sure about your present-day successors (especially him).
• Labour Zionism - The least bad Zionist, but I wish you had enshrined total legal equality of Jews and Arabs in law since the independence, or, failing that, had actually respected the Two State Solution.
• Left-Wing Nationalism - I support your fight for the freedom of your nation, but please do understand that real socialism comes from workers, not the bureaucracy.
• Liberal Socialism - We both love freedom, Chomsky seems to admire you a lot, and Orwell and Rosselli were based, but you aren't radicalized enough, and I have extremely mixed feelings on Vaush.
• Maoism–Third Worldism - Based internationalism and anti-imperialism. That said, please do keep in mind that every time the state has control over the supposed 'dicatorship of the proletariat', it somehow tends to end up a 'dictatorship of the party', and then simply a dictatorship.
• Market Socialism - You can't go wrong with co-ops or workplace democracy, however, most of my followers are skeptical of markets.
• Radicalism - Too moderate, especially on the property questions, though for their time many of your followers were rather cool. I'm very doubtful about the likes of Hugo or Clemenceau, OTOH.
• Reformist Marxism - Some of your branches like the JCP have good takes even if they are too mild, but Bernstein was the original Social-Imperialist.
• Revolutionary Progressivism - We both dislike capitalism but, for Pete's sake, chill out (and stop simping for authoritarians claiming to be 'progressive').
• Socialism of the 21st Century - Boric likes you but many of your variants aren't very good especially this one.
• Social Libertarianism - If I were spicy, you'd be mild. Capitalism? Pfft.
• Steiner-Vallentyne School - You have some good views. But you can go further!
• Social Liberalism - Even milder than him but generally you're heading in the right direction. But curse LBJ for escalating the Vietnam War! Also, I shot JFK
• Social Georgism - You're even more mild than SocBert, but LVT is kinda based.
• Social Democracy - A slightly socialist guy, but he's way too moderate. He thinks that reforming capitalism is better than abolishing it, and idk about him...
• Utopian Socialism - Some of your variants are interesting, others (including the original Utopia, ironically) are cringe bureaucrats.
• Euskadi Carlism - The least bad monarchist is still a monarchist, but can't say I wouldn't prefer you greatly to Juan Carlos. Not sure about Titoist ideas, but a confederal Spain sounds awesome!
• Gandhian Socialism - Look, I admire and respect your non-violent approach, but even you seemed to acknowledge that it wouldn't always work. Sometimes, an opponent simply won't understand anything but force.
• Ba'athism - My opposition to his warmongering does not mean I endorse your ethnic cleansing or dictatorial tendencies. However, you did promise autonomy for Rojava and did oppose the Western establishment, and I'm not quite sure whether your opposition will turn out better. Shame you killed Omar Aziz and his ideals were soon abandoned by the opposition for Islamism.
• Chavismo - Chavez and Maduro may get socialism wrong, but I don't think the US are in the right position to criticize them.
• Anarcho-Conservatism - One of the more tolerable (and tolerant) conservatives. Michéa has some... interesting ideas.
• Bleeding-Heart Libertarianism - Way too sympathetic to capitalism for my liking, but at least we agree that gay couples should have the right to defend their MJ plots with guns.
• Classical Conservatism - As far as you are from my ideals, Orwell found you preferable to totalitarians of either flank.
• Crusade of Romanianism - My... ultranationalist son?
• Distributism - Not bad for a self-avowed bourgeois ideology, though I wish you were more left-leaning.
• Georgism - A capitalist, but his heart is kind of in the right place.
• Left-Rothbardianism - A more extreme version of him. Better than the regular ancap, I guess.
• Liberaltarianism - Even more pro-markets than them, but your left-leaning version is just good enough with me. Cory Booker is right on Israel-Palestine question, though he's too Atlanticist.
• Post-Leftism - ...Good luck with that, I guess.
• Epsteinism - I don’t know this guy I swear!!

Oppressors

• Crapitalism - What some people don't realize is that Capitalism needs a state to function.
• Authoritarian Capitalism - My polar opposite. The two things I hate the most combined.
• State Capitalism - Aren't you just the same thing?
• Fascism - him, but without the mask of a "free market". Ignore how Silo is accused of acting like you.
• Francoism - ¡NO PASARÁN! Shit, you did pass after all. But the spirit of the Republic shall never die!
• National Capitalism - High-functioning psychopathy as an ideology.
• National "Socialism" - "TeH nAzIs ArE sOcIaLiStS bEcAuSE 'sOcIaLiStS' iS lItErAlLY iN tHeIr NaME." Sure. The social "Darwinistic" belief that only the so-called "strong" should survive is totally something a socialist would believe in.
• National Bolshevism - Oh hell yeah, two of the worst ideologies had to produce an even worse offspring. I'm not joining your gang even if you extended an invitation. And stop appropriating the name of the Interbrigades! At least we both kinda like Letov.
• State Socialism - Socialism is when workers–yes, the every-day working class; not the state, not unelected bureaucrats, and not some dictatorial "supreme general", control and manage the means of production.
• Barracks Communism - With a predecessor like this, it's hardly surprising the USSR turned out the way it did.
• Blanquism - You want a ruling minority elite, yet believe yourself to be bringing freedom to the masses. Curious.
• Italian Left Communism - Not everyone who disagrees with you is a bourgeois! At least we both dislike them
• Marxism–Leninism - "mY dIcTAtOrsHiP iS rEAl sOciAlIsM bEcAuSe I sLaP 'WoRkErS' oN tHe NaME oF eVErYtHinG!" Special thanks for backstabbing the Spanish Republic before abandoning it to Franco's tender mercies, jackass.
• Pol Potism - You’re a danger to both your own country and to the socialist movement at large. Chomsky did not support you, he just knew that you were no different than you capitalist equivalents!
• Reactionary Socialism - You hate them for all the wrong reasons.
• Yellow Socialism - Oh dear... unlike the others you don't even have anything socialist about you except the name. Where have I seen it before?..
• Dengism - The offspring of the above and the State Cappie. Poor Chinese...
• Ingsoc - Yeah... you're not a socialist. More like the end goal of him... or him, and for that matter him as well.
  • English Socialism is the only socialism. Thoughtcriminals like you need to be unpersoned.

• Police Statism - FUCK YOU! I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!
• Alt-Right - Terminally online offspring of him with some weird tastes, need I say more?
• Alt-Lite - A little less deranged than the above, but still GTFO.
• Neoconservatism - 🎵 WHY DON'T PRESIDENTS FIGHT THE WAR?! 🎵
• Imperialism - 🎵 WHY DO YOU ALWAYS SEND THE POOR! 🎵
• Neoliberalism - Reagan and Thatcher were more authoritarian than social democratic governments!
• Right-Wing Populism - Don't you realize that you just want to replace a 'liberal' elite with a conservative one? And that the hard-right part of the upper class uses your gullibility to make you believe that their less conservative rivals are responsible for your misfortunes, so you'd act as an attack dog for them? Once you're of no use to them, they'll gladly sideline you to rule unchallenged.
• Thatcherism - 🎵 DING DONG THE WITCH IS DEAD! 🎵
• Third Way - Piss off you woke imperialist trash! And stop posting videos claiming Chomsky is a genocide denier, he's just saying they aren't really genocides, which isn't the same thing I swear.
• Suhartoism - Free East Timor!
• Zionism - FREE PALESTINE! Down with apartheid! Down with Bibi!
• Kahanism - Aren't you just his forerunner?
• Neo-Ottomanism - I will stop fighting you only when you leave them alone.
• Putinism - ...Not the guy I want to have a dinner with. Though Neocon is still worse, at least because of his greater firepower and media power at the moment.
• Fourth Theory - Basically him but with a few takes lifted from the neocons (and don't deny it, you lunatic!). How can you get people to stay in your 'utopia'?
• Kastism - Lol cope harder fashie, BTFO.
• Conservative Feminism - Gfys, culturally conservative pseudo-feminist piece of shit!
• Liberal Feminism - Another pseudo-feminist and capitalist garbage! "MoRe fEmALe CeOs!!1" is the problem, not the solution, dammit!
• Libertarian Feminism - "i'M tOTalLy FrEe AnD InDePeNdEnT cUz i GOt aN oNlYfAnZ aCcOuNt!" Not that I'm trying to be a moralist, but between claiming feminist empowerment and selling your basic dignity to online perverts, you can only pick one.
• Objectivism - You don't want freedom; you want everyone to obey the orders of the bosses who you think are the greatest thing ever.
• Fake "Libertarian" - You are not a Libertarian! The word "Libertarian" has its origins from a French anarcho-communist. What you are is a propertarian who only opposes the government when they fringe on your property rights! NO DON'T ASK ME HOW I'LL STOP PEOPLE FROM OWNING PRIVATE PROPERTY! >:(
• Libertarian Conservatism - Care to explain how you're different from him?
• Hoppeanism - If I'm a "closet commie", you're an open tyrant. Also HIPPITY HOPPITY, I WON'T GET OFF YOUR "PROPERTY"!
• Neo-Libertarianism - What. The. Hell.
• Anarcho-Capitalism - You're the real oxymoron here, so stop denying it.
• Minarchism - Read above.
• Reactionary Libertarianism - Come on, are you serious?!
• Mediacracy - Stop manufacturing consent!
• A whole load of political tests - NO, MARXISM IS NOT AUTHORITARIAN, DUMBASSES!
• Pragerism - Stop quoting me and then doing the exact thing I told you not to do in that quote!
• JFKism - *loads rifle*

Further Information

Literature

• One-Dimensional Man by Herbert Marcuse
• The Soul of Man Under Socialism by Oscar Wilde
• Animal Farm by George Orwell

Wikipedia

• Libertarian socialism
• Left-libertarianism

People

• Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin
• Benjamin R. Tucker
• Noam Chomsky
• Herbert Marcuse
• Albert Camus
• Oscar Wilde
• Michael Albert
• Naomi Klein
• Jean-François Lyotard
• David Graeber
• Murray Bookchin
• Howie Hawkins
• William Morris
• C. L. R. James
• George Orwell
• Abdullah Öcalan
• Mario Rodríguez Cobos (Silo)
• Tomás Hirsch
• Gabriel Boric
• Francesc Pi i Margall
• Pigasus the Immortal

Youtube

Channels

• LuckyBlackCat
• Anark
• Zoe Baker
• Red Plateaus
• What Is Politics?
• Libertarian Communist Platform
• Jonas Čeika - CCK Philosophy
• BadMouse

Videos

• The case for liberty (Libertarian Socialist Rants)
• Murray Bookchin on the origin of the word libertarian
• POST-CAPITALISM: A Detailed Look at How It Could Work by LuckyBlackCat
• The *Socialist* Political Compass: Methods to create socialism by LuckyBlackCat
• Political Compass Rap but it's ALL SOCIALISTS ♫ by LuckyBlackCat
• 8 Types of "Socialism" in 75 Minutes || Economic Systems Explained by LuckyBlackCat
• 8 Types of "Socialism" in 10 Minutes by LuckyBlackCat
• Marx was not a "statist" by Jonas Čeika - CCK Philosophy

Criticism

• Libertarian Socialism Debunked by MentisWave
• The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich Hayek

Online Communities

• r/ClassicalLibertarians
• r/LibertarianSocialism

Gallery

Portraits

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Alternative designs

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  Libertarian Marxism
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  Libertarian Market Socialism by u/Staswalle
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  Libertarian Market Socialism
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  by ShadowRaiden

Comics and Artwork

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  "If leftist ideologies were RPG characters" by Roxxagon, Source
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  By u/weedmaster6669