What is libertarian socialism?

Ideology

Libertarian socialism is a political philosophy advocating only minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens coupled with an economic system which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

The philosophy maintains full respect for personal property, however is sceptical of, and in some cases fully against, private property, arguing that neither claiming nor mixing one’s labour with natural resources is enough to generate full private property rights and maintain that natural resources such as land, oil, gold, and vegetation should be held in an egalitarian manner, either unowned or owned collectively.

Libertarian socialists advocate for decentralised structures based on direct democracy and federal or confederal associations such as libertarian municipalism, citizen assemblies, trade unions, and worker councils. Some advocate for the eventual replacement of money with labour vouchers or decentralised planning.

Despite the good intentions, libertarian socialism is not immune to the economic calculation problem. It cannot feasibly allocate resources in an efficient manner as a centrally-planned economy lacks market-generated price signals.

Followers

Libertarian socialists support light restrictions on cultural freedom and heavy restrictions on economic freedom. Libertarian socialists oppose most private property rights. Libertarian socialists do not support the abolition of the state.

Allies

Libertarian socialists will ally themselves with other socialists, known as useful idiots, for as long as they derive utility from the association. Once their usefulness ends, libertarian socialists will betray their allies, often with deadly force.

As they lean toward the libertarian side of the political spectrum, libertarian socialists will view socialists on the authoritarian side of the spectrum with suspicion and mistrust. As such, they are less likely to ally with these socialists.

Enemies

Libertarian socialists consider liberals and capitalists to be their enemies and seek to destroy them utterly for daring to end the tradition of collectivism that was practiced for most of human history. Libertarian socialists will employ entryist strategies to infiltrate and subvert liberal and capitalist organisations so as to destroy them from within.

Location on the political spectrum

Libertarian socialism is located at the centre-bottom centre-left of the political spectrum. It is bordered by Marxist socialism, social democracy, centrism, liberalism, mutualism, syndicalism, anarcho-communism, and democratic socialism. As it is a mainstream ideology, libertarian socialism occupies more space on the spectrum than fringe ideologies.