Getting into Trotskyism

[RedMoslem]

I'm very interested in Trotskyism and would really appreciate it if someone could give me some Trotskyist theory,to understand it fully.
I apologize if this has been asked here before.

[Popular Front of Judea]

Are you under 18? I make it a hard rule not to deal theory to minors.


I'm very interested in Trotskyism and would really appreciate it if someone could give me some Trotskyist theory,to understand it fully.
I apologize if this has been asked here before.

[Red_Banner]

Theory?

Read Trotskys own works!

[RedMoslem]

No I'm not under 18,and which Trotsky's work should I read the most,what is the most essential one?

[Goblin]

No I'm not under 18,and which Trotsky's work should I read the most,what is the most essential one?

I would say the "Transitional Program": http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1938/tp/index.htm

[DDR]

Knock yourself out:

http://www.revleft.com/vb/trotskyism-study-guide-t178800/index.html?p=2580696#post2580696

[RedMoslem]

Thanks for the help,guys :D

[Fourth Internationalist]

Also, The Revolution Betrayed: What is the Soviet Union and Where is it Going? (http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1936/revbet/) and, while not a work by Trotsky but rather by a Trotskyist group, The Life and Death of Stalinism: A Ressurection of Marxist Theory (http://www.lrp-cofi.org/book/) is a good read and is about Marxism/Trotskyism and Stalinism.

[Art Vandelay]

Struggle for a Proletarian Party by James P. Cannon, is essentially the defining text of (post-Trotsky) Trotskyism.

[Sharia Lawn]

In Defence of Marxism - this was Trotsky's more nuanced work on the subject of the Soviet Union and is an analysis of its historical character and in particular what the attitude of Marxists should be toward it politically. Contextually speaking it is a series of documents that written in critique of those that did not want to defend the regime that owed its existence to the October Revolution.

[Brotto Rühle]

On the side of what to read to understand Trotsky in a positive way, the In Defence of Marxism, Revolution Betrayed, etc. are good for that.

However, I'm concerned that you're not going to be critical of Trotsky, that you're going to only read what he has to say and take it as truth. A lot of issues arise when it comes to Trotsky, including his not being able to understand Marx's critique of Political Economy, his ideas of militarization of labour, his apologia for the anti-democratic character of the post 1918 Bolsheviks, etc.

If you're interested in reading things that are critical, to at the very least, help shape your views, let me know. I have a few articles worth reading.

[hashem]

Trotsky was an opportunist who never had a firm idea and jumped from on camp into another whenever his interests demanded it. to fully understand the counter revolutionary nature of Trotskyism, you should read Lenins works about him. no revolution has been or can be successful without repelling Trotskyism.

[boiler]

Trotsky was an opportunist who never had a firm idea and jumped from on camp into another whenever his interests demanded it. to fully understand the counter revolutionary nature of Trotskyism, you should read Lenins works about him. no revolution has been or can be successful without repelling Trotskyism.

Whats the names of the works by Lenin on Trotsky?

[Geiseric]

The transitional program is the epitome of modern trotskyism. That is one of the first things ALL communists should read, along with Principles of Communism and the Manifesto, seeing as all of those books put communists heads where they're supposed to be. Communists on this site like to "call for revolution" when something like austerity happens, but they have no idea how to practically expand the momentum from a mass movement to include larger sections of the working class. The transitional program has to do specifically with mobilizing the working class.

I wouldn't take any advice about politics from anybody who isn't active in politics, or at least who has been involved in putting together some kind of mass movement. Trotsky and James P. Cannon kind of trump everybody else who you might be recommended to read about in that respect.

[Bea Arthur]

I think your best introductory guide to Trotskyism would definitely have be Steven Hassan's Combatting Cult Mind Control: The #1 Bestselling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults (http://www.amazon.com/Combatting-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-selling/dp/0892813113). I know it helped me a lot.

[Yuppie Grinder]

I think your best introductory guide to Trotskyism would definitely have be Steven Hassan's Combatting Cult Mind Control: The #1 Bestselling Guide to Protection, Rescue, and Recovery from Destructive Cults (http://www.amazon.com/Combatting-Cult-Mind-Control-Best-selling/dp/0892813113). I know it helped me a lot.

lololol true

[d3crypt]

Fuck Trotsky. Read some Pannekoek and Kropotokin. :grin: that is all

[Art Vandelay]

I wouldn't take any advice about politics from anybody who isn't active in politics, or at least who has been involved in putting together some kind of mass movement. Trotsky and James P. Cannon kind of trump everybody else who you might be recommended to read about in that respect.

I know you tend to be one of the most stereotypical caricatures of a Trotskyist around, but just no. Cannon and Trotsky trump anyone else, as far as putting together a mass movement? Trotsky sure, cause of his involvement in the RR (both 05' and 17'), but Cannon? I also recommended his work in this thread, but this is just wildly historically inaccurate. Do you seriously think that the SWP, during Cannon's life, was the second largest mass movement in the history of the working class? Or were you just so caught up with what you were saying you really weren't thinking when you posted that? I'm genuinely curious.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

CLR James. ;)

[Geiseric]

I know you tend to be one of the most stereotypical caricatures of a Trotskyist around, but just no. Cannon and Trotsky trump anyone else, as far as putting together a mass movement? Trotsky sure, cause of his involvement in the RR (both 05' and 17'), but Cannon? I also recommended his work in this thread, but this is just wildly historically inaccurate. Do you seriously think that the SWP, during Cannon's life, was the second largest mass movement in the history of the working class? Or were you just so caught up with what you were saying you really weren't thinking when you posted that? I'm genuinely curious.

In terms of a mass movement in the U.S. Cannon was instrumental in the creation of the CIO. He was union organizing his entire life, when the IWW was at its peak, so in terms of American socialists whose theoretical work has to do with our tasks today I can't think of many better examples than James Cannon. The SWP wasn't the 2nd largest social movement in history.

[Sea]

How versed are you in political theory generally? I'm going to assume you're new to it all, but feel free to correct me.

Before you start climbing up the Marx-Engels-Lenin-Whoever ladder, you might want to start with Marx and Engels.

Reading Trotsky or Lenin or Stalin or Mao or whoever that whoever might be before you know what they are (or claim to be) basing themselves on is not advised. This is especially true with a polarizing figure like Trotsky, so that you can decide for yourself if Trotsky was a good Marxist or an incompetent quack.

Let me ask: Do you want to just read Trotsky for the hell of it, or do you want to understand what he writes?

[Popular Front of Judea]

In terms of a mass movement in the U.S. Cannon was instrumental in the creation of the CIO.

Can you give me a link on that? I am genuinely curious. I thought that the Communists were there from the beginning.

[synthesis]

Christopher Hitchens.

[Popular Front of Judea]

If you want to know why Trotsky was a singular 20th century political figure then there is still no better place to start than Isaac Deutscher's Prophet trilogy: The Prophet Armed, The Prophet Unarmed and The Prophet Outcast.

[RedMoslem]

How versed are you in political theory generally? I'm going to assume you're new to it all, but feel free to correct me.

Before you start climbing up the Marx-Engels-Lenin-Whoever ladder, you might want to start with Marx and Engels.

Reading Trotsky or Lenin or Stalin or Mao or whoever that whoever might be before you know what they are (or claim to be) basing themselves on is not advised. This is especially true with a polarizing figure like Trotsky, so that you can decide for yourself if Trotsky was a good Marxist or an incompetent quack.

Let me ask: Do you want to just read Trotsky for the hell of it, or do you want to understand what he writes?
I'm new,though not that much.
I've the read the Manifesto and the Principles,i've read the so called "basic" works.
I want to read Trotsky so I can understand his writings,what he wanted to achieve etc.

[hashem]

Whats the names of the works by Lenin on Trotsky? some of these works which i have read are: SPEECH IN THE DISCUSSION ON THE PARTY RULES (Vol 6, p 499). SOCIAL-DEMOCRACY AND THE PROVISIONAL REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT (Vol 8, p 275) SPEECH ON THE REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE DUMA GROUP (vol 12, p 448) THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS BOURGEOIS PARTIES (vol 12, p 489) THE AIM OF THE PROLETARIAN STRUGGLE IN OUR REVOLUTION (vol 15, p 360) The “Unity Crisis” in Our Party (vol 16, p 208) THE HISTORICAL MEANING OF THE INNER-PARTY STRUGGLE IN RUSSIA (vol 16, p 374) LETTER TO THE RUSSIAN COLLEGIUM OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE R.S.D.L.P. (vol 17, p 17) THE STATE OF AFFAIRS IN THE PARTY (vol 17, p 23) TROTSKY’S DIPLOMACY AND A CERTAIN PARTY PLATFORM (vol 17, p 360) THE LIQUIDATORS AGAINST THE PARTY (vol 18, p 22) THE BREAK-UP OF THE “AUGUST” BLOC (vol 20, p 158) DISRUPTION OF UNITY UNDER COVER OF OUTCRIES FOR UNITY (vol 20, p 325) THE TASKS OF THE PROLETARIAT IN OUR REVOLUTION (vol 24, p 55) EXTRAORDINARY SEVENTH CONGRESS OF THE R.C.P.(B.) (vol 27, p 85) THE TRADE UNIONS, THE PRESENT SITUATION AND TROTSKY’S MISTAKES (vol 32, p 19) ONCE AGAIN ON THE TRADE UNIONS, THE CURRENT SITUATION AND THE MISTAKES OF TROTSKY AND BUKHARIN (vol 32, p 70) THE PARTY CRISIS (vol 32, p 43) SPEECH ON THE TRADE UNIONS (vol 32, p 210). there are many more important works by Lenin against Trotsky, but these are the ones which i can remember.