> On Dec 18, 2024, at 9:04 AM, hari kumar via groups.io
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> Good evening David. So you enumerated I think - three Internationals
> following Trotsky. But then yu say also there are a "Lot more" than 5. So how
> many are there in fact?
I asked chatGPT, which is like having a brilliant research assistant who
sometimes lies to you. So you have to ask the chatbot for references. Here
was my question:
"What are the references that answer the question of how many fourth
internationals that adhere to Trotskyism exist in the world today?"
Here is the answer that I received:
"The term “Fourth International” refers to the international Marxist
organization founded by Leon Trotsky in 1938 as an alternative to the
Soviet-dominated Communist International (Comintern). Over time, splits,
ideological debates, and differing strategies among Trotskyists have led to the
creation of multiple organizations claiming to be successors to the Fourth
International.
"While it’s difficult to determine an exact number, there are several main
Trotskyist “Fourth Internationals” or international groupings that exist today.
Here are the most prominent ones:
"1. The Fourth International (FI)
• Full Name: The Fourth International - United Secretariat (USFI)
• Founded: Formed in 1963 as a result of reunification efforts.
• Orientation: Aimed to maintain Trotskyist principles while adapting to new
global realities.
• Headquarters: Based in Europe, particularly in France.
• Notable Parties:
• The New Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA) in France.
• Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) in the UK (historically linked).
• Position: Advocates for revolutionary socialism with an emphasis on building
broad left coalitions.
"2. The International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI)
• Founded: 1953 following a split from the Fourth International.
• Key Group: The International Socialist Equality Party (ISEP), affiliated with
the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS).
• Orientation: Strongly opposes what it sees as “Pabloism” (reformist
deviations) and claims to represent orthodox Trotskyism.
• Notable Presence: Active in the United States, Germany, Australia, and the UK.
• Key Platform: Focuses on theoretical clarity, opposition to Stalinism, and
rejection of political compromises.
"3. The International Socialist Tendency (IST)
• Led by: The Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United Kingdom.
• Founded: Emerged in the 1970s after splits from traditional Fourth
International organizations.
• Orientation: Maintains Trotskyist principles but emphasizes involvement in
grassroots struggles and social movements.
• Presence: Significant in the UK, Greece, and other parts of Europe.
"4. The Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI)
• Founded: 1974.
• Orientation: Combines Trotskyist principles with a focus on building mass
parties for workers’ struggles.
• Split: In 2019, the CWI split into two rival factions:
• The majority faction led by parties like Socialist Alternative (USA).
• A minority faction led by the Socialist Party (UK).
• Global Reach: Active in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
"5. The International Marxist Tendency (IMT)
• Founded: After splitting from the Fourth International in the 1990s.
• Orientation: Seeks to uphold Trotskyist principles while engaging with mass
workers’ movements and socialist parties.
• Leader: Alan Woods, a prominent Marxist theorist.
• Global Presence: Strong in Europe, Latin America, and South Asia (e.g.,
Pakistan).
"6. Other Groups and Tendencies
"Beyond the main “Fourth International” organizations, there are smaller
groupings and tendencies that claim adherence to Trotskyism or identify with
the Fourth International, including:
• The League for the Fourth International (LFI): A small but vocal group
claiming orthodox Trotskyist roots.
• Workers’ International League (WIL): Focused on building workers’ movements
in the United States.
• The Permanent Revolution Group: Smaller currents inspired by Trotsky’s
permanent revolution theory.
"Summary
"There are at least 5–6 major “Fourth Internationals” or international
Trotskyist groupings active today, along with numerous smaller factions and
organizations. These groups differ in tactics, strategies, and interpretations
of Trotsky’s ideas, but all claim to continue the legacy of revolutionary
Marxism and opposition to Stalinism."
chatGPT provided about a dozen references but won't let me copy them from the
computer and it's too time consuming to do that by hand. But there is one of
interest: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Trotskyist_internationals
Mark
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