r/MaoSpontex

224 archived posts · Mar 2013 – Mar 2020

Mao Spontex

r/MaoSpontex

The term *Mao-spontex* designates a political movement at the turn of Marxism and libertarian movements in Western Europe in 1960 and 1970. This neologism is a portmanteau derived from "Maoist" and "spontaneity". *Mao-Spontex* can also refer to de-Stalinized post-Marxism-Leninism-Maoist currents that have broken with orthodox Marxism-Leninism-Maoism on the question of internationalism and on the socialist nature of China and the USSR.

Created Mar 7, 2013 · restricted

395Members (last snapshot)

224Archived posts

#Welcome to r/MaoSpontex!

The term Mao-spontex designates a political movement at the turn of Marxism and libertarian movements in Western Europe in 1960 and 1970. This neologism is a portmanteau derived from "Maoist" and "spontaneity".

Le terme Mao-spontex désigne un courant politique à la charnière du marxisme et du mouvement libertaire, en Europe occidentale dans les années 1960 et 1970. Ce néologisme est un mot-valise dérivé de « maoïste » et de « spontanéiste ».

Mao-Spontex can also refer to de-Stalinized, Ultra-Left post-Marxism-Leninism-Maoist currents that have broken with orthodox Marxism-Leninism-Maoism on the question of internationalism and on the socialist nature of China and the USSR. These currents have then have fused with various forms of left communism (communization, Bordigism, etc.) to achieve a synthesis between good theory (left communism) and good practice (Maoism). This modern current of Mao-Spontex is currently in development and new avenues are being explored in an attempt at de-Stalinizing Mao and rescuing the revolutionary core of Maoism from its state capitalist, Stalinist shell.

This subreddit is reserved for all things pertaining to (predominately in France, but also in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, etc.) historical spontaneous radical Leftist organizations like La Gauche Prolétarienne (Proletarian Left, GP), the ultra-left workers' movement in China during the Cultural Revolution, as well as modern attempts at reviving and revising Mao-Spontex theory.

This subreddit is also for discussing the all the intersections between left communism and Maoism, providing a discussion forum for people from both ideology clusters to civilly explore this often forgotten avenue.

The central focus of classical Mao-Spontex theory is the character of "spontaneity", with a "Maoist" inspiration, albeit in a largely Francophone context.
Mao-Spontex is very different from Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and may be more properly situated in the left communist tradition.
Spontex was originally a brand of sponges, leading a consideration for what is called the "the Spontex sponge effect" in relation to the nature of anti-authoritarian strikes and protests.
Classical Mao-Spontex is also known as "anarcho-maoism".

#Some notable members:

Olivier Rolin
Jean-Pierre Le Dantec
Jean-Claude Vernier
the brothers Tony and Benny Lévy
Jean Schiavo
Maurice Brover
Jean-Claude Zancarini (aka "Tarzan")
Alain Geismar
Serge July
Dominique Grange
André Glucksman
Pierre Overney (killed)
Roland Castro
Babar (Roger Noël)

#Radical feminists:

Nadja Ringart
Delphine Seyrig (militant feminist, actress)
Antoinette Fouque
Monique Wittig
Josiane Chanel
Suzanne Fenn
Gille Wittig
Margaret Stephenson

#Engaged French intellectuals:

Louis Althusser
Jean-Paul Sartre
Gilles Deleuze
Michel Foucault
Simone de Beauvoir
Jacques-Alain Miller
Jean-Claude Milner
Jacques Ranciere

#Other "family" organizations:

Sponti (German)
La Cause du Peuple (popular journal of GP)
Vive La Revolution (VLR) (France, see also VLC).
Tout! (popular journal of VLR)
Lotta Continua (Italy)
K-Gruppe (Germany)
Alternative libertaire (France, Belgium)
Mouvement de libération des femmes (MLF)
Le Torchon brûle (popular journal of MLF)
Mouvement alternatif (environmental, anti-nuclear, pacifist)
Autonomie ouvrier (Italian autonomists)
Groupe d’information sur les prisons (GIP) (anti-prisons)
Front homosexuel d'action revolutionnaire (FHAR, founded 1971!)

#Related Subreddits:

Other communities

Reddit Rebuilt is an independent, non-commercial archive and is not affiliated with Reddit, Inc. Content belongs to its original authors.