What is Trotskyism?

[CHEGUAVARA]

I have heard the term Trotskyism many times, I know it builds on the theories of Lev Trotsky but I never got exactly what it is. Is it dictatoric or libertarian? Is Trotsky and Trotskyism the same thing or does the ideology live it's own life? Could anybody explain shortly what Trotskyism is all about?

[Zanthorus]

Basically Trotskyism consists of the groups that arose out of the international Left Opposition which later became the Fourth International when they were expelled from the Comintern, and groups which align themselves with that particular history. View vary between groups, but the basic point most of them make is that the Russian revolution was a workers' revolution with the Bolshevik party as the party of the working-class on the political stage, however the revolution later degenerated into something else (The question of exactly what is at least mildly controversial). Usually the degeneration is linked to the failure of international revolution, which is usually accompanied by a critique of the policy of the Communist International from the fifth congress onwards, and a desire to found revolutionary parties on the basis of the lessons drawn from the percieved failures of Comintern policy. I'm sure an actual Trotskyist can go into more detail.

[Reznov]

Just find out what Stalinism is, and then write the opposite of that.

[Victus Mortuum]

Trotskyism is basically Marxism-Leninism with a few added specifications:

- Support for permanent revolution rather than 2 stage theory
- Support for revolution in capitalist countries as well rather than just 3rd world countries
- Support for proletarian internationalism as opposed to socialism in one country
- Criticism of Soviet leadership after Lenin
- Support of a second Soviet revolution to overthrow the "Deformed Worker's State"

[Lyev]

Trotskyism is basically Marxism-Leninism with a few added specifications:

- Support for permanent revolution rather than 2 stage theory
- Support for revolution in capitalist countries as well rather than just 3rd world countries
- Support for proletarian internationalism as opposed to socialism in one country
- Criticism of Soviet leadership after Lenin
- Support of a second Soviet revolution to overthrow the "Deformed Worker's State"It should be noted that Trotskyism is not some rigid monolith. It's not like there's one Trotskyist organisation that is right on everything, and all others are incorrect. Within the long line of theorists and activists during and after Trotsky, there's a very heterogeneous, wide-ranging spectrum of opinions and interpretations.

- Support for permanent revolution rather than 2 stage theory
This is the theory that, whilst taking into account the theory of combined and uneven development, that capitalism will by no means develop at a uniform rate in every region across the world, postulates that since the bourgeoisie in Russia, or any other economically underdeveloped country, are weak and vacillating - they're more scared of the proles and peasants than the landowners, monarchy and aristocracy - then it is more desirable for the development of capitalism then socialism for the proletariat leading the peasantry and other oppressed elements of society through the bourgeois-democratic revolution themselves. Giving the peasants land, opening up fuller trade union rights etc. I will elababorate much more thoroughly on this later (I was going to go through each of those points in detail) but I have to go now, so I'll carry this on tomorrow or later this evening.

EDIT (again!): bugger, I just typed loads of cool stuff and then the page refreshed and it all went. Oh well. So, I'll try and go through each aspect of "Trotskyism" individually and in reasonable amounts of detail.

Anyway, a continuation of permanent revolution. The semi-feudal character of such countries as Russia (but also China, Cuba, Vietnam etc.) is further conducive to a verification of the theory. In such a country, the working class population is small; the theory is meant to be applied to underdeveloped countries, after all. Indeed, China's working class population in 1949 was ~1.8% whilst in 1917 Russia it was only 10%. Other such modern examples are Nepal and India at 6% and 14% respectively. In such country it follows, in a general sort of fashion, that the working class will be concentrated - this harks back to when Marx would talk about the "increasing socialization and centralization of the labour-force" and such - around a few small industrial areas. For example in Russia the working class was largely centered around urban areas like St. Petersburg. This is favourable for the theory's praxis because this high concentration of workers in relatively small areas compensates for the weak numerical strength of the workers movement.

But why is it "permanent"? Well, there's two main reasons, the first one is that the distinctly proletarian nature of such a revolution necessitates the revolutionary process to be carried all the way through into a socialist transformation, thus cementing and and safeguarding the gains of the bourgeois-democratic revolution. And secondly, we can also deduce from this that such a revolution must not be isolated to one country, as I have argued in previous threads similar to this one. Trotsky says on the subject that "Marxism takes its point of departure from world economy, not as a sum of national parts but as a mighty and independent reality which has been created by the international division of labor and the world market, and which in our epoch imperiously dominates the national markets." [emph. mine]

And so this leads us onto Trotsky's exposition of the united front, but also his critique of the nationalistic policy-making of the Comintern, with the Soviet Union at its head. Where the gains of October could have further been stretched, spread and crystallized Stalinism chose to put immediate Soviet national interests before the interests of the international proletarian movement. We can see this in how Chiang Kai-shek & the KMT were dealt with; leading to the massacre of thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of communist and trade-unionist activists and revolutionaries at the hands of nationalist Kuomintang. We can also see, in the change of the outlook of the Comintern (at the fourth or fifth congresses(?), I don't know for sure) where popular frontism and "socialism in one country" were adopted as official policy. We can see the failures of the French popular front of Léon Blum in 1936, which adhered cowardly to the non-intervention treaty, refusing to give any aid or armaments to republican Spain.

In Spain itself we also saw a failure of the popular front, where the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), amongst others, joined in an class-collaborationist alliance with the bourgeois liberal parties of the time. Thus the revolution was thrown away. And Soviet policy in Spain (or China in roughly 1924-27) was not at all conducive to this "spreading" of the revolution. It is well documented that many anarchists, POUMists, anti-fascists etc. were assassinated by the NKVD and similar bodies. There are also issues, that Beevor describes in his work on the Spanish Civil War, where on one hand we see the CNT-FAI using expropriated hotels and expensive restaurants or what have you as make-shift hospitals or barracks whereas the Comintern would use theirs to make comfortable their official Soviet representatives.

I think that's adequate for the time being, but I'm certainly open to debate or if anyone wants to challenge what I have to say. I'll also come back here to expand upon the programmatic aspects of Trotskyism; the transitional program, which comes under fire from a lot of critics for being too "economist". Anyway, with the rise of fascism, in Italy, Spain, Germany and elsewhere, and the failed Chinese revolution of '26, I think there is a certain sadness in Trotsky's relentless denigration and expulsion from the Bolshevik party, and then Russia.

[dearest chuck]

trotskyism is very fluid, it defies definition.. the simplest way to understand it is, whatever it claims a (perceived) opponent is, then that's what it isn't.

[blake 3:17]

The basics are working class political independence, internationalism, opposition to all forms of oppression and the need/possibility of socialist democracy. The theory of permanent revolution (working class leadership) is linked to the theory of combined and uneven development (capitalist and pre-capitalist modes of production). More later if you're interested.

Many Trotskyists and Trotskyist groups have been both authoritarian and democratic. Our tendency towards building sects has produced a few pretty weird cults.

I don't think Trotsky, the person, can be equated with every group that calls itself Trotskyist or is descended from a Trotskyist group.

If you can access it, Trotsky's History Of The Russian Revolution is a fantastic book. His autobiography is a fun and very stimulating read.

[The Red Next Door]

Trotskyists seem to be on the reformist side depending on organizations; like for example. WIL is trying to create an American Party of Labor like in the UK.

[AK]

Trotskyists seem to be on the reformist side depending on organizations; like for example. WIL is trying to create an American Party of Labor like in the UK.
Yes because that group I've never heard of before is representative of the entire Trotskyist movement.

[CHEGUAVARA]

Ok, thanks for all the answers! I sometimes call myself an Anarcho-communist, are these two related?

[AK]

Ok, thanks for all the answers! I sometimes call myself an Anarcho-communist, are these two related?
I sure hope not. Inb4 Kronstadt.

[The Red Next Door]

yes because that group i've never heard of before is representative of the entire trotskyist movement.

the fucking american midwest branch of the imt!

[Palingenisis]

I was talking with an ex-leading member of the Communist Party of Ireland Marxist-Leninist and he said that a lot of them consider Trotskyism a form of fascism?

How common was this theory with the International Communist Movement?

[Thirsty Crow]

I was talking with an ex-leading member of the Communist Party of Ireland Marxist-Leninist and he said that a lot of them consider Trotskyism a form of fascism?

How common was this theory with the International Communist Movement?

A lot of teabaggers consider Obama a Hitler in disguise. Does that mean they are relevant?

[Apoi_Viitor]

I was talking with an ex-leading member of the Communist Party of Ireland Marxist-Leninist and he said that a lot of them consider Trotskyism a form of fascism?

How common was this theory with the International Communist Movement?

Pretty common. Most communists (myself included) view worker's control as an undeniable characteristic of Fascism. Trotsky even authored numerous papers about how much he loved Fascism!

http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1944/1944-fas.htm

[Lyev]

Trotskyists seem to be on the reformist side depending on organizations; like for example. WIL is trying to create an American Party of Labor like in the UK.Excuse me, but this is nonsense. What on earth are you talking about? Back this up with a reliable source(s) or retract it. This is quite ironic really coming from a member of the PSL, and a self-proclaimed Maoist; think of all the Stalinized communist parties across Europe and Asia that upheld reformist policy-making, encouraged by Moscow in the heyday of the Comintern (and even whilst Stalin was still alive!)

[L.A.P.]

Ok, thanks for all the answers! I sometimes call myself an Anarcho-communist, are these two related?
They both believe in classless and stateless societies so yes they are related.

[The Red Next Door]

Excuse me, but this is nonsense. What on earth are you talking about? Back this up with a reliable source(s) or retract it. This is quite ironic really coming from a member of the PSL, and a self-proclaimed Maoist; think of all the Stalinized communist parties across Europe and Asia that upheld reformist policy-making, encouraged by Moscow in the heyday of the Comintern (and even whilst Stalin was still alive!)

i do not know, what you are talking about, but PSL use elections to get the message across and do not give a flying fuck about the elections and winning and I am talking about the IMT specifically!

Read people Read:mad: fuck!!! also check your fucking mailbox!!!