Re: [OPE] One party state?

Sorry, but surely you are aware that Lenin hammered Trotsky for his
Menshevism - he actually referred to him as Judas - 1913 I think, but you
can check. Also re the nature of the first 1917 revolution and the
so-called permanent revolution and so on, Lenin's position was quite
different to Trotsky's. See Moshe Lewin's book Lenin's Last Struggle for
his final attack on Stalin, but also to show the necessity of taking power
in October 1916 Lenin had to deal with Stalin's Menshevism. At times they
were all on the same side but in different periods. So nothing is terribly
simple. The main divisions were clear but for example when Trotsky joined
the Bolshevik Party before the revolution he clearly broke with his
Menshevik position. He returned to it after 1924.

On the question of the party and permanent revolution Lenin was correct on
both and Trotsky wrong on both positions despite the myths to the contrary.
But there are more important matters to consider without going in to all
this again. I refer to imperialism, the labour aristocracy and the abject
character of the left in imperialist countries during the biggest crisis
experienced since the 1930s.

David Yaffe

At 13:36 08/06/2009 +0200, you wrote:
>David Yaffe wrote:
>>Your resort to slogans when your back is against the wall. I am a Marxist
>>and a Leninist. I believe Lenin was correct in his ideological struggle
>>against Stalin and Trotsky.
>
>The idea that Lenin waged an "ideological struggle" against both Stalin
>and Trotsky sees strange to me. Where in Lenin's writings do you find such
>struggles, and to do regard Lenin to always have been correct in these
>struggles in the light of historical experience, i.e. with the benefit of
>hindsight.
>
>Regards
>Anders
>
>
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Received on Mon Jun 8 08:15:23 2009