joe golowka:
A libertarian Socialist, like myself, is someone that opposes both capitalism and the state. We believe that the economy should be run by the people - either through cooperatives, worker's councils or assorted other structures. --------------------------
norm:
about non-state structures: isn't that what people used to call anarcho-syndicalism? people running things through unions, co-ops, etc.? --------------------------
joe:
This is different than State Socialists who want the government to run the economy (such state-centralization ends up creating state capitalism since government bureaucrats end up establishing themselves as a new class). In addition to the abolition of capitalism, the state should either be abolished or drastically shrunk. Many Anarchists claim that the term means the same thing as Anarchism, this is debatable though since there is a small minority of self-described Libertarian Socialists who want a limited government that actually represents the people instead of no government. ------------------------------
norm:
hard for to imagine doing without ANY government. people are not all equal in their abilities and motivations and, inevitably, a stronger (physically, intellectually, etc.) person will take advantage of a weaker one. with NO govt, where does the weaker person turn for help? ---------------------------------
bakunin:
"Equality of political rights, or a democratic State, constitute in themselves the most glaring contradiction in terms. The State, or political right, denotes force, authority, predominance; it presupposes inequality in fact. Where all rule, there are no more ruled, and there is no State" - Mikhail Bakunin -------------------------------
norm:
bakunin seems to be assuming here that no one will take advantage of another when the State (central government) ceases to exist. is that a correct interpretation? even the more docile of the AmerIndian tribes that i know about still had to redeem or purge social deviants through a communal process. would bakunin grant that his anarchism would have to provide for SOME common social solutions for asocial human behavior? ---------------------------------
thanks again for your response.
norm