Thanks Hari, as usual, for your comments. The term "Stalinist" should not be used on this list as a conversation ender or in any kind of derogatory. It should or can be used as a historical term (not unlike "Trotskyist"). My own parents, or rather, at least on my mom's side, were quite proud of saying they were "Stalinist". Should I not raise that? Frankly if it is that bad to use, I'll stop using it albeit I don't think I ever use it in the manner that you object too.
Yes, "Trotskyite" developed toward the end of the 1920s as an insult to those that defend the then still living Leon Trotsky, but the person and the movement which he founded. Interestingly I don't know if it exists in other languages or if they simply use what ever translate to the suffix "ist" at the end of his name. Only the defenders of Stalin used this term and used it almost exclusively. So like all terms of course they evolve in meaning somewhat and usage. It became de jure for members of the CP in the U.S., Canada and the UK to use this term as an insult and continued to be used in this manner, most, but not all, supporters or defenders of Stalin's interpretation of socialism, never used "Trotskyist". So that is sort of the dime store etymology of the term. No one uses it today unless they are defenders of the 30s/40s era USSR and the organizations that hold the position of solidarity with or defense of the politics of the USSR in that period. "Trotskyist" is self-described by the defenders of Trotsky and his politics so that is not an issue and, in academia the term is used, not "Trotskyite". Thus that latter term is used exclusively by those that want to insult, denigrate, etc anything to do with the history or politics of Leon Trotsky. I hope that helps at least in understanding this pejorative. "Marxism-Leninism" for Trotskyists is term that is used exclusively by defenders of Stalin and his politics. There are exceptions. I've seen many times where Trotskyists use the term as a self-descriptions (including myself) simply as a term when dealing with the politics of Marxism as expressed through the height Bolshevik internationalism lead by Lenin. I know of two organizations in the past that used "M-L" to describe themselves and were also described by themselves as Trotskyist. (and an organization that described themselves as "Stalinist"). Another synonym for the latter is "Anti-Revisionist", thus our great collection on the MIA of the "Encyclopedia of Anti-Revisionism On-Line" [ https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/ ]. Specifically I've never researched when the "ite" was attached as a suffix to "Trotsky". David -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39175): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39175 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/116179785/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
