De Leonism
De Leonism, occasionally known as Marxism–De Leonism, is a form of unionist Marxism[1] developed by Daniel De Leon. De Leon combined the rising theories of American unionism in his time with 
orthodox Marxism. According to De Leonist theory, militant industrial unions (not to be confused with syndicates) are the vehicle of class struggle. Industrial Unions serving the interests of the proletariat (working class) will bring about the change needed to establish a socialist system.
History
De Leon settled in New York City, studying at Columbia University. He was a 
Georgist socialist during the 1886 Mayoral campaign of Henry George and in 1890 joined the Socialist Labor Party, becoming the editor of its newspaper, The People.
De Leon became a Marxist in the late 1880s, and argued for the revolutionary overthrow of 
capitalism, trying to divert the SLP away from its Lassallian outlook.
De Leon was highly critical of the trade union movement in America and described the craft-oriented American Federation of Labor as the "American Separation of Labor". At this early stage in De Leon's development, there was still a considerable remnant of the general unionist Knights of Labor in existence, and the SLP worked within it until being driven out. This resulted in the formation of the Socialist Trade and Labor Alliance (ST&LA) in 1895, which was dominated by the SLP.
By the early 20th Century, the SLP was declining in numbers, with first the Social Democratic Party and then the Socialist Party of America becoming the leading leftist political force in America (as these splinter groups embraced capitalist reforms). De Leon was an important figure in the US labor movement, and in 1904 he attended the International Socialist Congress, held in Amsterdam. Under the influence of the American Labor Union (ALU), he changed his politics around this time to put more focus on industrial unionism, and the ballot as a purely destructive weapon, in contrast to his earlier view of political organization as 'sword' and industrial union as 'shield'. He worked with the ALU in the founding of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in 1905. His participation in this organization was short-lived and acrimonious. After DeLeon's death, his ideology was carried on by the SLP with little success, although they had a brief moment in the 60s when disaffected left wing youth were looking for a party to join, the "dogmatic" leadership eventually caused most of that membership to drift away (they even alienated multi-time Presidential candidate Eric Hass into leaving the party). By the time their national office closed in 2008, they had a grand total of 77 members.
Beliefs
Impossibilism
De Leonists take a impossibilist stance on the reform or revolution question, that of reform under capitalism strengthening the bourgeoisie and securing their power while weakening socialist movements. And because of this, De Leonism is opposed to any form of reformism. However, De Leonists in the past did opt to run in presidential elections in the United States, but only as a way of seeing how much mass support they had.
Socialist Industrial Unionism
De Leonists advocate for an “industrial commonwealth” revolving directly on industry formulated around socialist industrial unionism. This socialist industrial unionism should not be confused with the industrial unionism of the IWW, which is of a syndicalist and libertarian socialist character.
Socialist industrial unionism would operate on a model where workers elect workplace industrial unions which elect regional industrial unions which elect national industrial unions represent entire industries which then elect members to the industrial congress. These industrial unions are tasked with answering questions over decision-making of both economic and political policy. The industrial union representatives can be recalled at any point.
Personality
De Leonists are rare on the net (due to the younger ones closing in on age 80), but once you find one, you'll find out that they're comparable to syndicalists; a huge love for industrial unionism, the arming of workers for defense, and will tend to think of the gool 'ol days when trade unionist socialist parties used to be popular (compared to our time).
De Leonists are chill with most 
LeftComs and 
Anarchists, on the other hand, they're usually are very critical of 
"bureaucratic state despotists" and 
"bourgeois socialists." This is because of both ideologies inability to lead a true workers revolution with either an elitist vanguard party or trying to reform capitalism, respectively.
How to Draw
- Draw a circle.
- Fill it with red.
- Draw a yellow circle inside.
- Draw a silhouette of a muscular arm holding a hammer in yellow (#D8C306) inside the circle and fill the silhouette in.
- Draw the eyes and you’re done.
| Color Name | HEX | RGB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | #C9261F | 201, 38, 31 | |
| Yellow | #D8C306 | 216, 195, 6 | |
Relations
Friends
Marxism - My father.
Council Communism - Most of you like me, and most of my followers like you. We both love bullying reformists and syndicalists together.- Impossibilism - My son who continues to fight against reformism.
Luxemburgism - Your critique of reformism was quite excellent, though you didn’t go far enough.
Frenemies
Leninism - You were successful at creating the first socialist state, but it degenerated into bureaucratic despotism early on. And while it is true that we need a workers' party to act as the political tool of the proletariat, the party can not be prioritized over the industrial unions.
Georgism - You’re on the right track but you fail to see the inherent problems of capitalism and instead place those problems on land.
Enemies
Capitalism - The only thing you do is destroy workers lives.
Fascism - Militarism is only the natural accompaniment of capitalism fully developed.
Marxism-Leninism - Bureaucratic despotism at its finest.
Anarchism - Utopian who rejects the power of a directing authority.
Reformism - You can change a poodle's appearance, but a poodle it will remain.
Reformist Marxism - Reformism will only strengthen capital!
Libertarian Possibilism - What is this monstrosity?
Social Democracy - This is literally just the natural conclusion of reformism...
Third Way - I think I'm going to be sick...
Blanquism - Why no mass movements?
Theocracy - "Theology or religion is a delicate and occult thing. No man of sense and surely none of feeling will, ‘hit back’ at that tender vein. He will respect that private feeling with others, as he will expect others to respect it with him. But that is one thing, and another is to allow clergymen to extend the jurisdiction of ‘theology’ over terrestrial and civic matters, as they endeavour to do. To allow them to, and not ‘hit back,’ and hard, too, at such clerical usurpations over a domain that is purely civic, would be to allow them to walk into our encampment, take possession, and non-suit the cause of Socialism – and that indeed would 'be satisfactory to the enemy.' With Daniel O’Connell, the S.L.P. says: 'All the religion you like from Rome, but no politics.'"
Syndicalism - I am not you! You fail to lay even the slightest bit of stress onto capitalism besides on its function. And how dare you expel me from the IWW? Slum proletarian.
National Syndicalism - Some dumb nationalist, don't listen to him.
American Communism - Gravedigger of communism who slandered me as somehow an anarcho-syndicalist and a reformist.
State Socialism - Lassallean who doesn’t understand the achievement of socialism will mean the vanishing of the state.
Further Information
YouTube
Videos
Literature
- Reform or Revolution? (1896) by Daniel De Leon
- What Means This Strike? (1898) by Daniel De Leon
- Socialism vs Anarchism (1901) by Daniel De Leon
- Two Pages from Roman History (1903) by Daniel De Leon
- The Burning Question of Trade Unionism (1904) by Daniel De Leon
- DeLeon Replies ... (1904) by Daniel De Leon
- Socialist Reconstruction of Society (1905) by Daniel De Leon
Syndicalism (1908) by Daniel De Leon
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Wikipedia
Gallery
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Impossibilism
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Alt design
