I spend a good amount of time at night on Twitch. I have made a good many online friends there. I mainly watch people play video games or just chat or what have you. I’ve also started following one streamer that goes by “Socialism for All.” I managed to catch one of their streams last night and asked if Libertarian-Socialists were allowed to contribute. Someone asked me if “libertarian-socialist” was an oxymoron. To that, I say not at all.
While “libertarian” is often associated with right-wing, pro-capitalist ideologies in the U.S., its historical roots are anti-authoritarian socialism. Libertarian socialism is a broad category that includes anarchists, council communists, and other leftists who reject both capitalism and the state. The idea is that socialism should be achieved through decentralization, direct democracy, and worker self-management rather than authoritarian state control.
While American political discourse often treats “libertarian” and “socialist” as opposites, the historical reality is different. Libertarian socialism has a long tradition of advocating for freedom from both the state and capitalist exploitation. Rather than being contradictory, it represents a coherent vision of society based on voluntary cooperation, self-management, and radical democracy.
So while it might sound contradictory if you’re only familiar with the American use of “libertarian,” in a historical and global context, it’s a coherent and well-established political philosophy.
Sisyphus Shrugged 