Interpretation of Left Communism: Radical Marxist trend of thought that criticizes Leninism and state capitalism

Left Communism is a radical Marxist movement that originated from questioning the Communist International's line in the early 20th century. It advocated the self-emancipation of the working class, opposed the parliamentary road and traditional trade unions, and characterized the Soviet model as state capitalism. Understanding this trend of thought will help to deeply analyze various political values and ideological tendency tests, such as the ideological spectrum revealed by the 8Values political test.

Left Communism, or communist left, describes a set of positions held by the communist left that are critical of the political thought and practice held by Marxist-Leninists and social democrats. The movement is not a unified political organization, but a collection of schools of thought and groups. Left-wing communists insist that they hold views that are "more Marxist and proletarian" than the Marxist-Leninist views embraced by the Comintern after Joseph Stalin's Bolshevization and during its Second Congress. They are generally considered to be further to the left of the political spectrum than other revolutionary socialist factions.

For many users deeply exploring the political ideological spectrum, left-wing communism represents a profound critique of mainstream Marxist practices. If you're interested in determining where you fall on this complex spectrum, you can try a self-assessment using a tool like the 8 Values Politics Test .

The historical origins and main school differences of Left Communism

The theoretical origin of left-wing communism can be traced back to the historical background of the failure of most European revolutions after World War I. It tried to find another way to replace the original revolutionary model.

The Early Left in the Context of the Russian Revolution

The term "left-wing communism" first appeared in Soviet Russia in 1918. At that time, a faction emerged within the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), which opposed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk signed by VI Lenin and issued a statement in the name of "Left-Wing Communists" . They considered the treaty a betrayal of the international revolution. Representatives of this faction include Nikolai Bukharin, Mikhail Pokrovsky and Georgi Pyatakov.

Left-wing communism had been a bone of contention in the interwar period over the nature of the Russian Revolution.

Two Core Traditions: German-Dutch and Italian Left

Since World War I, left-wing communism has developed into two core traditions or currents:

1. Italian Left: Also known as Bordigism .
   • The main representative is Amadeo Bordiga, one of the founders of the Italian Communist Party (Partito Comunista Italiano).
   • The Bordiga faction emphasizes the strict discipline and theoretical purity of the communist party , advocates the existence of a completely pure communist program, and is committed to protecting it from distortion.
   • Bordiga laid out its characteristic program at the founding conference of the Italian Communist Party in 1921.
   • This school of thought placed greater emphasis on the role of the party, even accepting the Leninist party model, and viewed the Bolshevik state as the dictatorship of the proletariat.
   • Bordiga criticized the concept of "democracy" and believed that the dictatorship of the proletariat should be the direct rule of the working class rather than through elections or parliamentary forms.
2. Dutch-German Left: Also known as Council Communism .
   • The main representatives include Antonie Pannekoek , Herman Gorter , Otto Rühle and Paul Mattick .
   • This school emphasizes the spontaneous organization of the working class , grassroots democracy and self-liberation.
   • They believed that workers' councils were the highest organizational form of the revolution and that workers should directly control production and distribution, opposing any form of party leadership or state intervention.
   • The German and Dutch leftists believed that the working class itself was the subject of communism and opposed vanguard party theory and democratic centralism.

Rosa Luxemburg's Influence

Rosa Luxemburg's ideas had a profound political and theoretical influence on many left-wing communists. She emphasized the theory of workers' spontaneous revolution. Although she herself was not directly involved in the formal formation of this political trend, her writings had a great influence on left-wing communism. Some commentators believe that Luxemburg had an influence on this tradition, but that she herself should not be considered a left-wing communist. However, listing her works, such as "The Russian Revolution", in any "Left Communist Reading Guide" is necessary. Furthermore, Paul Mattick had strongly supported the arguments of Luxemburg and others regarding the "national question" before the First World War.

When assessing an ideologically nuanced ideology such as left-wing communism, consider the LeftValues politics test , which focuses on value orientations within the left, or the 9Axes politics test for a more nuanced analysis.

Critique of Mainstream Strategies: Against Parliamentarianism and Trade Unionism

A central feature of left-wing communism is opposition to participation in organizations associated with the bourgeoisie .

Reject Parliamentarism and Unionism

Left-wing communists generally believe that participation in bourgeois parliaments and conservative unions will only paralyze the working class and fail to bring about fundamental change. They advocated that revolutionaries should not join organizations such as parliament and trade unions.

• Opposition to parliamentary struggle: They believed that capitalism could not be overthrown through reforms or parliamentary struggle, and that socialism must be achieved through direct revolutionary action by the working class. They criticized social democrats and social reformism as betrayal of the working class. In ""Left-Wing" Communism: an Infantile Disorder_" published in 1920, Lenin directly criticized the tendency of left-wing communism to reject parliamentary tactics. Lenin believed that a complete rejection of parliamentary tactics was too dogmatic and that in some cases parliament could serve as a platform for propaganda.
• Opposition to trade unions: Left-wing communists believe that trade unions have been co-opted by capitalism and have become tools to maintain the status quo, and workers should establish independent struggle organizations. Hermann Gauth had been a radical critic of Lenin's tactics and opposed the work of Eurocommunists in parliament and existing trade unions. Lenin advocated working within the trade unions to win over workers.

Rejecting National Liberation and Upholding Internationalism

Left-wing communism adheres to firm internationalism (Intransigent Internationalism) and strongly opposes nationalism.

They refused to support national liberation movements and "anti-imperialism" , viewing these movements as nationalism. They believe that when a war breaks out between bourgeois countries, they should not choose sides and adhere to the slogan "no war but class war" ("no war but class war").

Hermann Gauth stated in his 1920 Open letter to Lenin that the proletariat of Western Europe had no allies.

A structural critique of “State Capitalism”

Left-wing communist criticism of the mainstream communist movement focused primarily on organizational forms and the nature of the Russian Revolution. They criticized the Leninist vanguard party model, which they believed led to bureaucratization and departed from the autonomy of the working class.

The nature of the Soviet system

Left-wing communists were among the first Marxist factions to criticize the Soviet model. They generally believe that the so-called "actually existing socialism" of Marxism-Leninism (whether past or present) is essentially state capitalism .

They argued that the Soviet Union's economic and political structure was not socialist but "state capitalism" because the means of production were controlled by the bureaucracy rather than directly managed by workers. For example, Bordiga and others believed that the Soviet bureaucratic apparatus betrayed the proletarian revolution and established new forms of oppression.

They also criticized Joseph Stalin 's "Socialism in One Country" theory, arguing that only a global revolution (World Revolution) can achieve true communism.

The organizational perspective of Council Communism

The German-Dutch left, known as council communists, strongly opposed the concentration of power in a centralized state or party apparatus, believing that such concentration could easily lead to "authoritarianism" and the alienation of the working class.

Anton Pannekoek's representative work "Workers' Councils" describes how workers' councils serve as organs of self-organizing power for the working class in struggle and as a means to overthrow capitalism and establish a classless society. Council communists advocated workers' direct management of social production through workers' councils and opposed any form of bureaucratic or state control.

In contrast, the Bordigaists, although opposed to democracy, preferred the organizational concept of "organic centralism" as an alternative or critical inheritance to democratic centralism. Bordiga believed that awareness preceded action within the party, as opposed to what he considered the mass and individual levels.

Historical evaluation and the influence of contemporary Left Communism

Due to its extreme stance of revolutionary purity, left-wing communism has been marginalized for a long time in history and has limited influence.

Lenin’s Criticism and the “Infant Disease” Label

Left-wing communists were marginalized in the Communist International. Lenin wrote his famous "Left-Wing" Communism: an Infantile Disorder_ in April-May 1920, criticizing their complete rejection of parliamentary struggle and their opposition to working in reactionary trade unions. Lenin believed that this view was an "infantile disorder" .

The term "ultra-leftism" is also often used as a pejorative term for left-wing communism. However, many people accused of being "ultra-left" will argue that they are simply communists and that their accusers are not truly left-wing.

Contemporary Development and Organizational Heritage

Although left-wing communism was marginalized and weakened in the mid-20th century, its ideas regained attention after the May 1968 storm in France.

The ideas of left-wing communism influenced many later radical trends of thought, including Autonomism , Workerism , Situationist International, and Communization Theory . Communization theory advocates the direct abolition of the state and capital.

To this day, there are still a number of left-wing communist international organizations that attempt to inherit and synthesize the political ideas of the German-Dutch and Italian lefts.

Major existing international organizations include:

• International Communist Current (ICC) : Opposes Stalinism, Maoism, etc. as state capitalism, and regards Trotskyism (Trotskyism) and official anarchism as "the left wing within capitalist political institutions." The organization endorsed some of the criticisms made by Lenin in his book "The Infantile Disease of the "Left" in the Communist Movement".
• Internationalist Communist Tendency (ICT) : Criticizes Leon Trotsky for being wrong in many aspects, such as mistakenly viewing the Soviet Union as a workers' state rather than a state capitalist state. The organization acknowledges its critical acceptance of many of the views held by Vladimir Lenin.

These modern organizations continue to remain active in working class struggles.

If you're interested in a deeper ideological analysis, you can explore this site's various popular political values ideological orientation tests . If you want to read further relevant theoretical articles, please visit our official blog to learn more details about these radical political trends.