The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-25
LOzOvSKY WRITES
UPON ANARCHO-
SYNDICALISM
Its Theory of Union, Par
ty and State
BIZ a. LosovskY.

General Secretary of the Red Inter-
national Of Labor Unions.)
In the last article I wrote of the
trade unionism" which, prior to the
war, was limited to economic views
and held no conception of the new so
ciety to be won by a working class
revolution, movement which ac-
cepted capitalism as permanent.
The second kind of pre-war labor
movement, which represents the oppo-
site side of trade union movement is
known by the name of "anchro-syndi.
calism." If trade unionism is connect
ed with Anglo-Saxon countries. an.
archo-syndicalism is connected with
the Latin. The birthplace of anarcho-
syndicalism is France, there it had
fits greatest development and there
also was created the theory which
united numbers Of workers of the
Latin countries.
A Healthy Reaction.
What are the main characteristics
of anarcho-syndicalism Trade union
ism as we said, is devoted to the in
terests of one craft. Anarcho-syndi
calism-and this is surely the pro-
gressive side of it's devoted to the
interests of the working class. 1t was
healthy reaction of a certain part of
the proletariat against the opportun-
ism and reformism which had existed
in labor organization, trade union as
well as political. The first character
istic Of narcho-syndicalism which diff
ferentiates it is that it puts first the
general class interests and struggles
not for betterment within capital
ism, but for the overthrow of the sys
tenn.
The Syndicalist FalIacy.
The second Characterization of the
anarcho-syndicalist movement within
the International labor movement is
its anti-political character. Anarcho.
syndicalists consider the union as the
primary organ for the class struggle
They believe there are no other organ
izations except the trade unions
which can conquer capitalism. All po-
litical parties-say the anarcho-syndi
calists-beginning with the bourgeois
and ending with the socialist, and at
the present time with the Commun-
lists, are, from the social point of view
mixed organizations; while the trade
unions represent purely labor organ.
ization.
A party is a union Of citizens. A
trade union unites the producers. In
the party there are may be workers
and also people from other classes
In trade union-only workers. This
is why the undergraduates place
the union ahead of the party. This is
why the trade union happens to be the
main weapon of the social revolution
in their view.
Besides that in the opinion of the
theoreticians and active workers of
anarcho-syndicalism (of whom we may
name Sorel, LaGuardelle, GrifueD the
Characterization which differentiates
the trade unions is that they not only
are the basic stronghold of the work.
ing class in its struggle to overthrow
capitalism, but also organizations
around which the new society will be
built. According to the belief of the
anarcho-syndicalists the trade unions
will not only make the revolution but
will also create the new society. The
trade unions will organize production,
regulate production within the indus.
tries, will govern the public econ.
omy. This is the social philosophy Of
anarcho-syndicalism. But this is not
all. tlE
Anti-state and Non-state.
There is one more characterization
Of anarcho-syndicalism which is, in
full, inherited from the anarchist
theory concerning the state: The
state, Independently OF its form or
contents, is an enemy. The structure
OF the state in itself--the anarchists
always write the state with a capital
Sis an organ of exploitation, OF
one part Of the people by the others,
and that exploitation is always used
against the workers. Therefore. be.
fore the war, the question Of the die.
tatorship Of the proletariat was a very
vague and theoretical one.
The anarohosyndicalists were al.
ways out-spoken against the dictator.
ship OF the proletariat, for from their
theory, the latter will mean the con.
tinuation Of exploitation. They are