[lbo-talk] query: from anarchist to marxist???

Carrol Cox cbcox at ilstu.edu
Mon Oct 17 08:39:50 PDT 2011


On 10/17/2011 8:40 AM, SA wrote:


> Bookchin himself basically broke with anarchism late in life, although I
> sense that his line was something like "I didn't leave US anarchism, it
> left me."

He was revolted by "life style" anarchism as well as anarchism which was more libertarian than anarchist.

"Marxism" can point _only) to a theoretical analysis of capitalism. A rather large variety of political tendencies can then huddle under that term. Its possible for two peole to have identical political positons while one labels him/herself "Marxist," the other uses the label "Christian."

And "Anarchism"seems sometimes to be merely a more or less aesthetic label: an attitude towards the world _not_ embodied in any political activity whatever.

It is politically incorrect I think to identify "ant-capitalist" with "Marxists"; that identification can divide people whose politics would be identical except for the label they give it. If someone commits thenselves to the anti-capitalist struggle, what difference does it make what "ism" they classify their politics under?

As Doug suggests, "libertarian" and "anarchist" are not the same; but the self-label of "anarchist" can lead to a dangerous toleration of libertarian politics.

Carrol



More information about the lbo-talk mailing list