The People September 1996 Vol. 106 No. 6 LETTERS TO THE PEOPLE (SEGMENT) 'LIBERTARIAN SOCIALISM' While browsing the Internet, I came across some material on the subject of "libertarian socialism." What caught my attention was the reference to the SLP. For your information, I have enclosed a printout of the material. Scott Hess Beaverton, Ore. Reply-- The matter enclosed by our correspondent described so-called libertarian socialism as "essentially synonymous with the word 'anarchism.'" It went on to mistakenly clump "the Socialist Labor Party of Daniel De Leon" together with several other groups it identified with the term. The phrase, "libertarian socialism," is a variation on another, "anarchist communism," which dates from the 1890s. Back then, someone (most likely De Leon) had this to say about it in THE PEOPLE: "It is impossible to give an accurate definition of 'Anarchist Communists' because of the absence of any tangible body of such people, the consequent absence of any official declarations upon the subject, and the anarchy of expression in which these people revel. Speaking generally, communism, in point of form, implies small, independent, self-supporting societies; the idea proceeds from ignoring the fact that the economic evolution makes popular cooperating impossible except it is carried on upon a national basis, and that even the boundaries of many a modern nation, are not broad enough to embrace an independent cooperative community that shall be abreast of modern requirements." [37 lines left ... full text available at <url:http://www.reference.com/cgi-bin/pn/go?choice=message&table=04_1997&mid=1335699&hilit=ANARCHY> ] -------------------------------- Article-ID: 04_1997&1343310 Score: 82 Subject: euphoria 3