Libertarian socialism in the US

[Mathematician]

Libertarian was originally a reference to the socialist notion that all forms of coercion and force need to be opposed, but since then it has been adopted by North American groups to mean something entirely different - namely, the defense of "natural rights."

I would be interesting in seeing a North American perspective on libertarian socialism. The United States is full of past examples like Benjamin Tucker, Lysander Spooner, Eugene Debs, and Martin Luther King Jr., but in contemporary society many would take the two words to be an oxymoron.

This thread was inspired from the Socialist Only forum: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/socialist-only/70614-libertarian-socialism.html

What is it?

Libertarian socialism is the minimalization of all economic, political, social, and religious force and coercion.

Why is it different than libertarian capitalism?

Libertarian capitalists are not against economic coercion so long as it pertains to their view of a proper way to acquire property.

There are many hypothetical scenarios to draw from, but it's hard to pick the right one because capitalists come in different varieties: anarcho-capitalists, libertarian capitalists, conservative capitalists, moderate capitalist, welfare capitalists ...

How do libertarian socialists legitimize their beliefs?

With logic. The premise libertarian socialism is built around is far-reaching. Minimalize force and coercion to the smallest degree possible. "Possible" is subjective, but all libertarian socialists - including anarchists - agree that there can be a certain point where you actually create more force and coercion. For example, you could argue that we make sure children are never subordinate to their parents, but this requires a level of force unimaginable to most non-statists.

I call myself a "rational anarchist" because it's something I strive for, not something that I necessarily demand. If anarchism is impracticable, then so be it. I will not shed a tear.

Libertarian socialists - like any political movement - are somewhat divided on issues, but generally:

- They're against all social restrictions (pro-choice on abortion, consumption, cloning, prostitution and against moral legislation).
- They're feminists.
- They're anti-racists, anti-xenophobes, anti-jingoism.
- They favor prison reform, if not prison abolition.
- They're against restrictions to immigration.
- They're anti-war and anti-violence, although not necessarily pacifist.
- They believe land, or more specifically space, should not be a commodity.
- They're ardent supporters of entrepreneurs, small businesses, and contractors in markets.
- They believe larger production should be handled by cooperatives and communes instead of corporations.
- They believe in defense of personal possessions, or property that doesn't create force or coercion.
- They believe overbearing taxation can be remedied by restructuring property (replace corporation and income taxes with cooperatives and refuse to recognize corporate personhood).

 

[UnityNow101]

It sounds like I may just be a Libertarian-Socialist. Is there a party which holds beliefs similar to the above posted issues? If so, sign me up to vote. I have always been against the hierarchical power structure that exists but have always been too scared to come out and say that I am an anarchist. Thanks a lot Gene, I am definantely going to look this up.

 

[Mathematician]

Libertarian-socialism and left-libertarian don't have major party representation, if only because they prefer alternative approaches to change like unions, black markets, gift economies, situationalism (being lazy at work), cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and civil disobedience. However if you look around a little you'll find a large group of Libertarian Socialists and Left-Libertarians can be found in the Green Party, Socialist Party, and even the Libertarian Party.

 

[UnityNow101]

Libertarian-socialism and left-libertarian don't have major party representation, if only because they prefer alternative approaches to change like unions, black markets, gift economies, situationalism (being lazy at work), cooperatives, entrepreneurship, and civil disobedience. However if you look around a little you'll find a large group of Libertarian Socialists and Left-Libertarians can be found in the Green Party, Socialist Party, and even the Libertarian Party.

I used to identify myself as a Libertarian, but their unregulated big business policy has always worried me a bit. And with their nomination of Bob Barr, I have lost all faith in their ability to change anything. I will look into Cynthia McKinney a bit more. I have heard some good things about her and her ideas concerning civil liberties and there current erosion under the justification of "fighting terror."

 

[Mathematician]

If you ever have time I recommend reading the following: The Iron Fist Behind the Invisible Hand

The money monopoly also includes entry barriers against cooperative banks and prohibitions against private issuance of banknotes, by which access to finance capital is restricted and interest rates are kept artificially high.

Just in passing, we might mention the monumental hypocrisy of the regulation of credit unions in the United States, which require that their membership must share some common bond, like working for the same employer. Imagine the outrage if IGA and Safeway lobbied for a national law to prohibit grocery co-ops unless the members all worked for the same company! One of the most notable supporters of these laws is Phil Gramm, that renowned "free marketeer" and economics professor--and foremost among the banking industry's whores in Congress.

[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif]Our hypothetical world of free credit in many ways resembles the situation in colonial societies. E. G. Wakefield, in View of the Art of Colon- ization, wrote of the unacceptably weak position of the employing class when self-employment with one's own property was readily available. In colonies, there was a tight labor market and poor labor discipline because of the abundance of cheap land. "Not only does the degree of exploitation of the wage-labourer remain indecently low. The wage-labourer loses into the bar- gain, along with the relation of dependence, also the sentiment of depen- dence on the abstemious capitalist."[/FONT]

[quote]Patents make an astronomical price difference. Until the early 1970s, for example, Italy did not recognize drug patents. As a result, Roche Products charged the British national health a price over 40 times greater for patented components of Librium and Valium than charged by competitors in Italy[/quote]