96-608: The Socialist Labour Group was a Trotskyist group in Britain between 1979 and 1989. The SLG originated politically in the 1971 split in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), between Gerry Healy 's British Socialist Labour League (SLL) and Pierre Lambert 's French Internationalist Communist Organisation (OCI). Betty Hamilton , an SLL founder and a Trotskyist since
192-419: A decentralized form of economic planning , worker's control of production , elected representation of Soviet socialist parties , mass soviet democratization , the tactic of a united front against far-right parties, cultural autonomy for artistic movements, voluntary collectivisation , a transitional program and socialist internationalism . He supported founding a vanguard party of
288-458: A "signal contribution" to the discipline of international relations . They argued his theory presented "a specific understanding of capitalist development as "uneven", insofar as it systematically featured geographically divergent "advanced" and "backward" regions" across the world economy . Faith merely promises to move mountains; but technology , which takes nothing ‘on faith’, is actually able to cut down mountains and move them. Up to now this
384-630: A Leninist party model. Trotsky would also assume a central role in the 1905 revolution and serve as the Chairman of the Petersburg Soviet of Workers' Delegates in which he wrote several proclamations urging for improved economic conditions , political rights and the use of strike action against the Tsarist regime on behalf of workers. In 1917, he had proposed the election of a new Soviet presidium with other socialist parties on
480-653: A Workers Republic . Mark Jenkins and then Robin Blick, along with most of their supporters, such as Tom Hillier, Nick Peck and Robin Brown, began to question Trotskyism-Leninism from about 1976 and left the Bulletin Group over a period. Robin and Karen Blick developed 'anti-Soviet' politics and were later founders of the Polish Solidarity Campaign . Kate Blakeney moved to Australia and was active in
576-612: A base in the Republic of Ireland. Cliff Slaughter was sent to Dublin to discuss with an LWR minority, which included Jim Monaghan (who later became a USec Reunified Fourth International supporter) and Dermot Whelan (later to rejoin the LWR and then Sinn Féin ). Slaughter won the support of this faction for Gerry Healy and the ICFI ( International Committee of the Fourth International ). They then split and together with Dave Fry and others formed
672-483: A hostile capitalist world and the internal pressures of its backward economy. Trotsky argued that the revolution must quickly spread to capitalist countries, bringing about a socialist revolution that must spread worldwide. In this way, the revolution is "permanent", moving out of necessity first, from the bourgeois revolution to the workers' revolution and from there uninterruptedly to European and worldwide revolutions. An internationalist outlook of permanent revolution
768-828: A leading SLL member boasted publicly that houses had been burgled and infiltrators sent in. Thornett did have meetings with Blick and Jenkins from the Bulletin Group, who reached him via Kate Blakeney (a leading member of the WRP) in Reading and Ray Howells in Swindon. The initial document upon which the Thornett opposition was founded was in fact co-written by Bulletin Group members, essentially Robin Blick, in consultation with Mark Jenkins and John Archer, but this did not lead to an ongoing political relationship. Lambert wanted Robin Blick to lead
864-518: A newly established body and called for the strengthening of its formal responsibilities to support a balanced level of economic reconstruction after the Civil War. Lenin and Politburo members had also proposed he served as deputy chairman with a focus on economic matters related to the either STO , Gosplan or the Council of National Economy. Trotsky had urged economic decentralisation between
960-400: A non-Trotskyist background to publish The Irish Reporter journal from 1990 to 2001. Paddy Healy and his brother Séamus Healy (currently a TD for Tipperary ) continued with a looser grouping, which had discussions with Stephane Just, but this disappeared by the 1990s. Although the LWR ceased to exist in the early 1990s, it was never formally dissolved. Séamus Healy still leads a grouping,
1056-465: A number of Old Bolsheviks who signed The Declaration of 46 raised concerns to the Poliburo concerning intra-party democracy which shared similarities with Lenin's proposed party reforms before his death. The signatories of the 46 letter expressed grievances related to the provincial conferences, party congresses and the election of committees. Separately, Trotsky would develop his views further with
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#17327941468521152-661: A playwright in Wales) both leading SLL members who had broken with Healy in the early 1970s and formed a discussion circle centred on a critique of Healy which tended to see the SLL's move to become the Workers' Revolutionary Party (WRP) as similar to the Stalinist Third Period . Harry Vince (an artist) and Ken Stratford had broken with the SLL in the late 1960s, arguing it was becoming a sect increasingly separated from
1248-467: A result, the global working class would come to Russia's aid, and socialism could develop worldwide. According to political scientist Baruch Knei-Paz, Trotsky’s theory of “permanent revolution” was grossly misrepresented by Stalin as defeatist and adventurist during the succession struggle when in fact Trotsky encouraged revolutions in Europe but was not at any time proposing “reckless confrontations” with
1344-497: A result, they are linked to and rely on the feudal landowners in many ways. Thus, Trotsky argues that because a majority of the branches of industry in Russia originated under the direct influence of government measures—sometimes with the help of government subsidies—the capitalist class was again tied to the ruling elite. The capitalist class was subservient to European capital. The theory of permanent revolution further considers that
1440-721: A result, they became known as the Bulletin Group , aligned with Lambert's Organising Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International to which the Hamilton-Vince-Stratford group were already linked. A heterogeneous tendency, they attempted to act as an 'external' faction of the SLL, with the aim of winning over more SLL members. The Marxist Bulletin , which commented on SLL-WRP (the Socialist Labour League had become
1536-555: A revival of freedom of Soviet parties, beginning with the party of Bolsheviks, and a resurrection of the trade unions. The bringing of democracy into industry means a radical revision of plans in the interests of toilers. Trotsky, The Revolution Betrayed , 1936 In 1931, Trotsky wrote a pamphlet on the Spanish Revolution and called for the creation of worker’s juntas in emulation of elected soviets as an expression of working class organisation. Trotsky stipulated
1632-414: A revolution in peasant-based countries such as Russia ultimately prepares the ground for capitalism's development since the liberated peasants become small owners, producers, and traders. This leads to the growth of commodity markets, from which a new capitalist class emerges. Trotsky agreed that a new socialist state and economy in a country like Russia would not be able to hold out against the pressures of
1728-478: A socialist one. According to this position, a socialist revolution could not occur in a backward, feudal country such as early 20th-century Russia when it had such a small and almost powerless capitalist class. In 1905, Trotsky formulated his theory of permanent revolution , which later became a defining characteristic of Trotskyism. The theory of permanent revolution addressed how such feudal regimes were to be overthrown and how socialism could establish itself, given
1824-482: A source of intense historical debate. However, on balance, scholarly opinion among a range of prominent historians and political scientists such as E.H. Carr , Isaac Deutscher , Moshe Lewin , Ronald Suny , Richard B. Day and W. Bruce Lincoln was that Lenin’s desired “heir” would have been a collective responsibility in which Trotsky was placed in "an important role and within which Stalin would be dramatically demoted (if not removed)". Trotsky advocated for
1920-754: A young age by a rival internal faction within the group. Paddy Healy, who briefly worked in London but who was based in Dublin and later became president of the Teachers' Union of Ireland , was a founding member. Carol Coulter , a member of the Irish Young Socialists, student activist and later writer and journalist joined soon after, along with Basil Miller, a student leader in UCD in the 1968 period. A number of younger members, some of whom had been active in
2016-453: Is found in the works of Karl Marx . The term "permanent revolution" is taken from a remark of Marx in his March 1850 Address: "it is our task", Marx said: [...] to make the revolution permanent until all the more or less propertied classes have been driven from their ruling positions, until the proletariat has conquered state power and until the association of the proletarians has progressed sufficiently far—not only in one country but in all
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#17327941468522112-405: Is lacking, yet the economy is largely in the hands of the state, are termed by orthodox Trotskyist theories as degenerated or deformed workers' states and not socialist states. Bureaucratic autocracy must give place to Soviet democracy. A restoration of the right of criticism, and a genuine freedom of elections, are necessary conditions for the further development of the country. This assumes
2208-567: Is led by Stefan Cholewka, a Labour Party member in Rochdale. The British Section of the International Liaison Committee for a Workers' International . is a small group which occasionally publishes Workers' Unity and The Link . Regis Faugier, although not a member, has sometimes been associated with this grouping. Trotskyist Historical Historical Trotskyism ( Russian : Троцкизм , Trotskizm )
2304-490: Is often labelled rightist within the communist spectrum and left communism leftist, anti-revisionists' idea of the left is very different from that of left communism. Despite being Bolshevik-Leninist comrades during the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War , Trotsky and Stalin became enemies in the 1920s and, after that, opposed the legitimacy of each other's forms of Leninism. Trotsky was highly critical of
2400-602: Is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Russian revolutionary and intellectual Leon Trotsky along with some other members of the Left Opposition and the Fourth International . Trotsky described himself as an orthodox Marxist , a revolutionary Marxist , and a Bolshevik – Leninist as well as a follower of Karl Marx , Frederick Engels , Vladimir Lenin , Karl Liebknecht , and Rosa Luxemburg . His relations with Lenin have been
2496-629: The Great Purges of 1937–1938, effectively removing all of Trotsky's internal influence in the USSR. Nikita Khrushchev had come to power as head of the Communist Party in Ukraine, signing lists of other Trotskyists to be executed. Trotsky and the party of Trotskyists were still recognized as enemies of the USSR during Khrushchev's rule of the USSR after 1956. Trotsky's Fourth International
2592-519: The Labour Party . They continued with the publication of the Bulletin until 1977 but its influence on the SLL had fast diminished after the Thornett group split and it had many internal tensions. Betty Hamilton, Ken Stratford, Regis Faugier and their associates formed a separate British Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International . The two small groupings were both affiliated to
2688-539: The New York Intellectuals . Trotsky presented a critique of contemporary literary movements such as Futurism and emphasised a need of cultural autonomy for the development of a socialist culture. According to literary critic Terry Eagleton , Trotsky recognised "like Lenin on the need for a socialist culture to absorb the finest products of bourgeois art". Trotsky himself viewed the proletarian culture as "temporary and transitional" which would provide
2784-722: The Scottish Socialist Party ). The few members of the SLG who remained loyal to the OCI in 1987 were centred on Charlie Charalambous. This grouping had a tenuous existence for a few years, but John Archer, who had joined the ISG with the SLG majority, decided to rejoin with Lambert's international grouping and formed a small circle within the ISG supportive of the FI-ICR, including academic Helen Peters. In 1991 it split and rejoined with
2880-743: The Socialist Labour Party , led by Matt Merrigan and Noël Browne , which split from the Irish Labour Party and lasted a few years. A few members, such as Harry Vince and John Daly, remained active in the Labour Party. LWR members were active in the giant tax marches of the late 1970s, the 1981 Hunger Strike movements (Paddy Healy ran for the Dáil (lower house of the Irish parliament) in Dublin on an Anti H-Block ticket) and
2976-640: The USSR in February 1929. As the head of the Fourth International , Trotsky continued in exile to oppose what he termed the degenerated workers' state in the USSR. On 20 August 1940, Trotsky was attacked in Mexico City by Ramón Mercader , a Spanish-born NKVD agent, and died the next day in a hospital. His murder is considered a political assassination. Almost all Trotskyists within the VKP(b) were executed in
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3072-683: The Workers Revolutionary Party ) politics and activities and gave a voice to the ideas of the OCRFI, was successfully infiltrated into the SLL, angering Healy who accused the group of writing substantial sections of documents circulated internally by SLL trade union leader Alan Thornett , who had formed an opposition grouping within the SLL and was soon to leave and form the Workers Socialist League . Healy supporters physically threatened Bulletin Group members and
3168-667: The Workers and Unemployed Action Group , in the South Tipperary area, although some members did join the Irish Labour Party (one ex-member of the Seamus Healy grouping, Phil Prendergast , was co-opted as Labour Party MEP, but failed to be re-elected). Seamus Healy lost his seat in the Dáil in the 2007 election but regained it as part of the United Left Alliance in the 2011 general election. Paddy Healy ran for
3264-624: The bureaucracy and anti-democratic current developed in the Soviet Union under Stalin . Despite their ideological disputes, Trotsky and Lenin were close personally prior to the London Congress of Social Democrats in 1903 and during the First World War . Lenin and Trotsky were close ideologically and personally during the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Trotskyists and some others call Trotsky its "co-leader". This
3360-494: The peasantry as a whole cannot take on the task of carrying through the revolution because it is dispersed in small holdings throughout the country and forms a heterogeneous grouping, including the rich peasants who employ rural workers and aspire to landlordism as well as the poor peasants who aspire to own more land. Trotsky argues: "All historical experience [...] shows that the peasantry are absolutely incapable of taking up an independent political role". Trotskyists differ on
3456-545: The proletariat , and a dictatorship of the proletariat (as opposed to the " dictatorship of the bourgeoisie ", which Marxists argue is a major component of capitalism ) based on working-class self-emancipation and council democracy . Trotsky also adhered to scientific socialism and viewed this as a conscious expression of historical processes. Trotskyists are critical of Stalinism as they oppose Joseph Stalin 's theory of socialism in one country in favour of Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution . Trotskyists criticize
3552-605: The war with Poland in 1920, proposed armistice with the Entente and temperance with staging anti-British revolts in the Middle East. Historian Robert Vincent Daniels believed that the practical differences, in the domain of international policy , between the Left Opposition and other factions had been exaggerated and he contended that Trotsky was no more prepared than other Bolshevik figures to risk war or for
3648-805: The 'Charalambous group' to form the British Committee of the European Workers' Alliance , a new Lambertist group which undertook entrism in the Labour Party and occasionally published the Fourth Internationalist Bulletin . Mike Calvert (sometimes known as Frank Wainwright) worked closely with John Archer at that time but later had his own differences with the Lambertists and is now associated with Workers Action. John Archer died in 2000 still seeing 'entry work' as his main political thrust. Today, this grouping
3744-591: The 'reconstructed' Fourth International , the continued Lambertist insistence on a decades long 'pre-revolutionary' period, (leading Francois de Massot to say that the British miners' strike was not a historic defeat), differences over tactics in Latin America and (for some) corrupt methods within the OCI. In 1987, all but four of the SLG sided with the wing of the FI-ICR linked to Luis Favre , Camilo Gonzalez , Roch Denis, Carol Coulter and others. The SLG
3840-583: The 1930s, had sided with Lambert in 1971 but remained isolated, although still formally an SLL member until 1974. John and Mary Archer, also Trotskyists since the 1930s, had split with the SLL in the mid-1960s, disagreeing with its pullout from the Labour Party after 1964, with the exception of a few secret 'deep entrists' . They continued to work as individuals in the Labour Party in North London but for ten years were not active in an organisation. They were contacted in 1975 by Robin Blick and Mark Jenkins, (now
3936-741: The Bolsheviks. Trotsky played a leading role with Lenin in the October Revolution . Lenin and Trotsky were also both honorary presidents of the Third International . Trotskyists have traditionally drawn upon Lenin's testament and his alliance with Trotsky in 1922–23 against the Soviet bureaucracy as primary evidence that Lenin sought to remove Stalin from the position of General Secretary . Various historians have also cited Lenin's proposal to appoint Trotsky Vice-Chairman of
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4032-586: The Bulletin Group as open supporters of the OCRFI, with parallel entry work in the Labour Party, where the Vince-Stratford wing and the Archers already worked as entrists . The grouping around Blick and Jenkins were holding secret caucus meetings within the Bulletin Group and moving away from support for the OCI. Harry Vince left the Bulletin Group and moved to Ireland in 1975, where he joined the League for
4128-604: The Faugiers were in touch with the OCI from 1972 and in contact with Betty Hamilton from 1973. In late 1974 the two groupings, mainly based in London, the larger around Blick and Jenkins (perhaps 20 plus including associates in Reading and Swindon) and another around Vince, Stratford and Faugier (perhaps 12 plus including associates in St Helens) began planning publication of a journal called the Marxist Bulletin . As
4224-557: The Fourth International . Young Socialist members Betty Purcell and Ann Speed (later a SIPTU trade union official and member of Sinn Féin) were prominent in this grouping. Those left oriented to the Organising Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International, joining it in 1972, just after it had split with Gerry Healy and the International Committee of the Fourth International. Members of
4320-533: The ISG, although most of them left over the next few years. Harry Vince did not join the ISG and moved to Ireland where he became an editor of The Irish Reporter magazine. Other prominent ex-members of the Socialist Labour Group include Martin Wicks, (a leading RMT member and housing rights campaigner), Steve Lloyd, a CPSA/PCS activist, Mary Godfrey and Alan Green, (who became National Secretary of
4416-694: The Irish Communist Organisation (ICO), later the British and Irish Communist Organisation (BICO), and those such as Peter Graham, Sean Matgamna (John O'Mahony) and Gery Lawless who were Trotskyists . The LWR was begun by members unhappy at the low level of activity of that organisation in Ireland and the fact that the IWG leaders were based in London. Liam Daltun was a prime mover in its formation but died soon after. Sean Matgamna supported
4512-433: The LWR had joined the Socialist Labour Alliance on its formation in 1971. The LWR had an independent existence from 1972, publishing Workers' Republic magazine, but some supporters worked in the Irish Labour Party . Paddy Healy had been a member of the Administrative Council (national executive) of the Labour Party until being removed. In the middle 1970s the LWR (along with three other Trotskyist groupings) participated in
4608-401: The Lambert OCRFI but had little relations with each other. In 1979 Vince moved back from Ireland at Lambert's request and the two groups joined to form a new grouping, which called itself the Socialist Labour Group (SLG). This was enlarged in 1981 by a merger with some supporters of Nahuel Moreno from the IMG , including Mike Phipps (now an editorial board member of Labour Left Briefing ), and
4704-412: The League for a Workers Vanguard. Gery Lawless, Tariq Ali and others in the British International Marxist Group with an Irish connection had stayed in contact with members of the Young Socialists and one or two members of the LWR and in late 1971-early 1972 a group split to form the Revolutionary Marxist Group (Ireland) (later Movement for a Socialist Republic), affiliated to the United Secretariat of
4800-446: The OCRFI, PCRFI and FI-ICR, including anti-apartheid campaigning and support work for Solidarnosc and movements in Latin America. However, differences between them and the leadership of the OCI appeared from 1985 when Harry Vince, along with 6 other members of Lambert's international leadership, criticised Lambert's Fourth International - International Centre of Reconstruction (FI-ICR) for, among other things, proposing to proclaim itself as
4896-489: The Russian Revolution with the Great French Revolution, the former can never be transformed into a repetition of the latter." In the French Revolution of 1789 , France experienced what Marxists called a " bourgeois-democratic revolution "—a regime was established wherein the bourgeoisie overthrew the existing French feudalistic system. The bourgeoisie then moved towards establishing a regime of democratic parliamentary institutions. However, while democratic rights were extended to
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#17327941468524992-412: The Russian revolution. Soviet scholar Robert Bird considered his work as the "first systematic treatment of art by a Communist leader" and a catalyst for later, Marxist cultural and critical theories. He had also defended intellectual autonomy in relation to the Russian literary movements and scientific theories such as Freudian psychoanalytic theory along with Einstein ’s theory of relativity during
5088-497: The SLG affiliated to the Parity Committee for the Reconstruction of the Fourth International when that was formed. The Socialist Labour Group remained active in the Labour Party, student unions and trade unions until 1988, publishing Unite and Fight , Socialist Newsletter and later Fourth Internationalist . It was also active in the Troops Out Movement , Labour Committee on Ireland and the London H-Blocks Committee and took part in various international solidarity campaigns linked to
5184-413: The Senate as an independent in July 2007 on an education funding and pro-discipline in schools platform, but was not elected. Alex White (politician) was elected to the Irish Senate for the Labour Party in July 2007. White voted with the Labour Party majority who supported coalition with Fine Gael (a party linked to the Christian Democrat grouping in Europe) prior to the 2007 election. His election to
5280-405: The Senate was credited to an electoral pact with Sinn Féin , based on his record of previously opposing censorship of that party when he worked in RTÉ (the Irish national broadcaster), where he was an active trade unionist. White was elected as a Labour Party TD for Dublin South in the 2011 general election, and was appointed as a junior minister in the Department of Health and Children. In 2014 he
5376-424: The Soviet Union as further evidence that he intended Trotsky to be his successor as head of government . In 1927, Trotsky was purged from the Communist Party and Soviet politics. In October, by order of Stalin, Trotsky was removed from power and, in November, expelled from the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) (aka: VKP(b)). He was exiled to Alma-Ata (now Almaty) in January 1928 and then expelled from
5472-434: The Stalinist USSR for suppressing democracy and the lack of adequate economic planning. Overall, Trotsky and the Left-United Opposition factions advocated for rapid industrialization , voluntary collectivisation of agriculture, and the expansion of a worker's democracy . Until 1905, some revolutionaries claimed that Marx's theory of history posited that only a revolution in a European capitalist society would lead to
5568-465: The USec ( United Secretariat of the Fourth International ) affiliate there for a time. John and Mary Archer remained loyal to the OCRFI-Lambert, but hostile to Betty Hamilton and Ken Stratford. They regrouped some newer student members centred on Marcus Giaquinto and John Ford (now academics), who had never been members of the SLL-WRP, with other members in Reading, Swindon and Norwich and kept the name Bulletin Group. Some of them engaged in entrist work in
5664-428: The West and controversies around party schisms. In the Transitional Program , which was drafted in 1938 during the founding congress of the Fourth International , Trotsky reiterated the need for the legalization of the Soviet parties and worker's control of production . The concept of uneven and combined development derived from the political theories of Trotsky. This concept was developed in combination with
5760-400: The Young Socialists (a broader grouping in Ireland, which also included supporters of International Socialist Tendency and the left wing of the Irish Labour Party ), also joined. There were later splits, centred as much on international affiliation as Irish issues. The Socialist Labour League in Britain had a number of (mainly Protestant) members in Belfast during the 1960s and was seeking
5856-412: The autocracy there stood a capitalist bourgeoisie, very small in numbers, isolated from the "people", half-foreign, without historical traditions, and inspired only by the greed for gain. For instance, the Putilov Factory numbered 12,000 workers in 1900 and, according to Trotsky, 36,000 in July 1917. Although only a tiny minority in Russian society, the proletariat would lead a revolution to emancipate
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#17327941468525952-438: The basis of proportional representation . On the other hand, he had accepted the ban on rival parties in Moscow during the Russian Civil War due to their opposition to the October Revolution . Yet, he also opposed the extension of the ban to the Mensheviks in Soviet Georgia . In 1922, Lenin allied with Leon Trotsky against the party's growing bureaucratisation and the influence of Joseph Stalin . In 1923, Trotsky and
6048-429: The bourgeoisie, they were not generally extended to a universal franchise. The freedom for workers to organize unions or to strike was not achieved without considerable struggle. Trotsky argues that countries like Russia had no "enlightened, active" revolutionary bourgeoisie which could play the same role, and the working class constituted a tiny minority. By the time of the European revolutions of 1848, "the bourgeoisie
6144-413: The capitalist world. Revolutions in Britain in the 17th century and in France in 1789 abolished feudalism and established the essential requisites for the development of capitalism. Trotsky argued that these revolutions would not be repeated in Russia. In Results and Prospects , written in 1906, Trotsky outlines his theory in detail, arguing: "History does not repeat itself. However much one may compare
6240-412: The essentially feudal landlords and, ultimately, the existing Czarist Russian state forces. This was to protect their ownership of their property—factories, banks, etc.—from expropriation by the revolutionary working class. Therefore, according to the theory of permanent revolution, the capitalist classes of economically backward countries are weak and incapable of carrying through revolutionary change. As
6336-416: The extent to which this is true today. However, even the most orthodox tend to recognise in the late twentieth century a new development in the revolts of the rural poor: the self-organising struggles of the landless, along with many other struggles that in some ways reflect the militant united, organised struggles of the working class, which to various degrees do not bear the marks of class divisions typical of
6432-435: The factories and workplaces; and that the collective consciousness it achieves as a result is an essential ingredient of the socialist reconstruction of society. Trotsky himself argued that only the proletariat or working class were capable of achieving the tasks of that bourgeois revolution. In 1905, the working class in Russia, a generation brought together in vast factories from the relative isolation of peasant life, saw
6528-400: The foundations for a culture above classes. He also argued that the pre-conditions for artistic creativity were economic well-being and emancipation from material constraints. Political scientist, Baruch Knei-Paz, characterised his view on the role of the party as transmitters of culture to the masses and raising the standards of education, as well as entry into the cultural sphere, but that
6624-415: The heroic peasant struggles of previous epochs. However, orthodox Trotskyists today still argue that the town- and city-based working-class struggle is central to the task of a successful socialist revolution linked to these struggles of the rural poor. They argue that the working class learns of the necessity to conduct a collective struggle, for instance, in trade unions, arising from its social conditions in
6720-412: The implementation of the First five-year plan . He noted that several engineers and economists who had created the plan were themselves later put on trial as " conscious wreckers who had acted on the instructions of a foreign power". Polish historian and biographer, Isaac Deutscher , viewed his inner-party reforms in 1923–24 as arguably the first act in the restoration of free Soviet institutions which
6816-412: The lack of economic prerequisites. Trotsky argued that only the working class could overthrow feudalism and win the peasantry 's support in Russia. Furthermore, he argued that the Russian working class would not stop there. They would win their revolution against the weak capitalist class, establish a workers' state in Russia and appeal to the working class in the advanced capitalist countries worldwide. As
6912-404: The leading countries of the world—that competition between the proletarians of these countries ceases and at least the decisive forces of production are concentrated in the hands of the workers. His biographer, Isaac Deutscher, has explicitly contrasted his support for proletarian internationalism against his opposition to revolution by military conquest as seen with his documented opposition to
7008-439: The left. In the 1920s, they called themselves the Left Opposition , although today's left communism is distinct and usually non-Bolshevik. The terminological disagreement can be confusing because different versions of a left-right political spectrum are used. Anti-revisionists consider themselves the ultimate leftists on a spectrum from communism on the left to imperialist capitalism on the right. However, given that Stalinism
7104-484: The loss of trade opportunities despite his support for world revolution . Prior to the October Revolution, Trotsky had been part of an old radical democracy which included both Left Mensheviks and Left Bolsheviks . His work, Our Political Tasks , published in 1904 reviewed issues related to party organisation, mass participation and the potential dangers of substitutionism which he foresaw in
7200-545: The move but quickly left to pursue interests in British politics with Workers' Fight. Peter Graham (not the Scottish musician) was a young Dubliner who lived between London and Dublin in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was loosely linked to the International Marxist Group . He had a relationship with members of Saor Éire , a republican splinter group in Dublin, and was influential until his murder at
7296-423: The need for shared participation of the communist factions, anarcho-syndicalists and socialists . In 1936, Trotsky argued in his work, The Revolution Betrayed , for the restoration of the right of criticism in areas such as economic matters , the revitalization of trade unions and free elections of the Soviet parties . Trotsky also argued that the excessive authoritarianism under Stalin had undermined
7392-484: The part of the population and for suppressing workers' self-management and democratic participation in the management of the economy. Because these authoritarian political measures were inconsistent with the organizational precepts of socialism, Trotsky characterized the Soviet Union as a deformed workers' state that would not be able to effectively transition to socialism. Ostensibly socialist states where democracy
7488-401: The party had sought to establish in 1917 and the return of worker's democracy which would correspond with a gradual dismantlement of the single-party system . At the same time, Deutscher noted that Trotsky's attitude towards democracy could be characterised as inconsistent and hesitant by opponents but this stemmed from a range of reasons such as the ill timing after the failed revolutions in
7584-408: The peasantry and thus "secure the support of the peasantry" as part of that revolution, on whose support it will rely. However, to improve their conditions, the working class must create a revolution of their own, which would accomplish the bourgeois revolution and establish a workers' state. Only fully developed capitalist conditions prepare the basis for socialism. According to classical Marxism ,
7680-417: The process of artistic creation in terms of language and presentation should be the domain of the practitioner. Knei-Paz also noted key distinctions between Trotsky's approach on cultural matters and Stalin's policy in the 1930s . Trotsky was an early proponent of economic planning since 1923 and favored an accelerated pace of industrialization. In 1921, he had also been a prominent supporter of Gosplan as
7776-649: The publication of the New Course in 1924. In 1927, Trotsky and the United Opposition had argued for the expansion of industrial democracy with their joint platform which demanded majority representation of workers in trade union congresses including the All-Union Congress and an increase of non-party workers to one-third of representation in these elected organs. They also supported legal protection for worker's right to criticise such as
7872-445: The related theory of permanent revolution to explain the historical context of Russia. He would later elaborate on this theory to explain the specific laws of uneven development in 1930 and the conditions for a possible revolutionary scenario. According to biographer Ian Thatcher, this theory would be later generalised to "the entire history of mankind". Political scientists Emanuele Saccarelli and Latha Varadarajan valued his theory as
7968-434: The result of its labour as a vast collective effort, also seeing the only means of struggling against its oppression in terms of a collective effort, forming workers councils ( soviets ) in the course of the revolution of that year. In 1906, Trotsky argued: The factory system brings the proletariat to the foreground [...] The proletariat immediately found itself concentrated in tremendous masses, while between these masses and
8064-505: The right to make independent proposals. According to historian Vadim Rogovin , these proposals would have developed democracy in the sphere of production and facilitated the establishment of worker's control over economic management. Following Stalin's consolidation of power in the Soviet Union and static centralization of political power, Trotsky condemned the Soviet government's policies for lacking widespread democratic participation on
8160-559: The social movements of the early to mid-1980s, such as the referendum on divorce. The LWR also worked in Ireland in support of Eastern European oppositionists, including Solidarność (Daly was secretary of the Irish Polish Solidarity Committee), and trade unionists in Latin America and South Africa. The LWR further divided after Carol Coulter, Harry Vince and John Daly left in 1988, Alex White having done so some years previously. They joined with others from
8256-480: The state, oblast regions and factories to counter structural inefficiency and the problem of bureaucracy. He had proposed the principles underlying the N.E.P. in 1920 to the Politburo to mitigate urgent economic matters arising from war communism. He would later reproach Lenin privately about the delayed government response in 1921-1922. However, his position also differed from the majority of Soviet leaders at
8352-483: The succession period. However, these theories were increasingly marginalised during the Stalin era. Trotsky would later co-author the 1938 Manifesto for an Independent Revolutionary Art with the endorsement of prominent artists Andre Breton and Diego Rivera . Trotsky's writings on literature such as his 1923 survey which advocated tolerance, limited censorship and respect for literary tradition had strong appeal to
8448-724: The time who fully supported the New Economic policy . League for a Workers Republic The League for a Workers' Republic (LWR) was a Trotskyist organisation in Ireland . It was founded in 1968 by members of the Irish Workers' Group , which was mainly centred on Irish emigrants to Britain and was itself the result of a previous split in the Irish Communist Group between those, such as Brendan Clifford , who leaned towards Maoism and went on to form
8544-497: The working class into fighting for its revolutionary aspirations against their exploitation by capitalism. In Russia, the working class, although a small minority in a predominantly peasant-based society, was organised in vast factories owned by the capitalist class and into large working-class districts. During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the capitalist class found it necessary to ally with reactionary elements such as
8640-561: The working class. They had joined and been expelled from International Socialists and Workers' Fight , discussed with the Militant and Chartists and were active in the Labour Party, forming a small group called Socialist Action. Regis Faugier (now a linguist) was a French ex-SLL member in St Helens who had organised a group of supporters outside the SLL, including Jean Faugier (now a nursing academic and consultant) Vince, Stratford and
8736-434: Was already unable to play a comparable role. It did not want and was not able to undertake the revolutionary liquidation of the social system that stood in its path to power." The theory of permanent revolution considers that in many countries that are thought under Trotskyism to have not yet completed a bourgeois-democratic revolution, the capitalist class opposes the creation of any revolutionary situation. They fear stirring
8832-636: Was also alluded to by Rosa Luxemburg. Lenin himself never mentioned the concept of "Trotskyism" after Trotsky became a member of the Bolshevik party. Trotsky was the Red Army 's paramount leader in the Revolutionary period's direct aftermath. Trotsky initially opposed some aspects of Leninism but eventually concluded that unity between the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks was impossible and joined
8928-516: Was appointed Minister for Cummunications, Energy and natural Resources. John Daly worked for a number of overseas development charities and founded Fairtrade labelling in Ireland in 1996. Carol Coulter was legal editor of the Irish Times, from which she retired in 2013, and appears to be politically inactive. Dublin: League for a Workers Republic, 1972. Dermot Whelan. Dublin: League for a Workers Republic, 1973. Basil Miller. Dublin: League for
9024-631: Was briefly part of a Liaison Committee with those (in Brazil, Colombia, Quebec, Ireland, Sweden, Germany and France) who broke with Lambert in 1987. It also held discussions with Stéphane Just but by 1988 was discussing joining with the International Socialist Group (ISG) which was a section of the United Secretariat of the Fourth International (USec). The SLG dissolved itself in 1989 and its remaining members joined
9120-464: Was done for industrial purposes (mines) or for railways (tunnels); in the future this will be done on an immeasurably larger scale, according to a general industrial and artistic plan. Man will occupy himself with re-registering mountains and rivers, and will earnestly and repeatedly make improvements in nature . —Trotsky, Literature and Revolution , 1924 In Literature and Revolution , Trotsky examined aesthetic issues in relation to class and
9216-577: Was established in the French Third Republic in 1938 when Trotskyists argued that the Comintern or Third International had become irretrievably "lost to Stalinism" and thus incapable of leading the international working class to political power. According to Trotsky, his programme could be distinguished from other Marxist theories by five key elements: On the political spectrum of Marxism , Trotskyists are usually considered to be on
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