Trotsky objected to his opposition tendency being labelled as “Trotskyist” for the same reason Stalin objected to his leading group being described as “Stalinist.” Both regarded themselves as “Leninists” - in fact, his rightful heir - and saw these labels as originating with their opponents who were eager to portray them as counter-revolutionary deviants from Bolshevism. Current admirers of Trotsky and Stalin can therefore both lay equal claim to being "Marxist-Leninists".
The suggestion that opposing tendencies were essentially revisionist leadership cults opposed to the founding principles of the movement is also characteristic of how political differences were treated internally (“Khrushchevites”,”Titoites”, “Healyites”, "Pabloites", Barnesites”, etc.) and such personalization of political disputes is generally true across the political spectrum. As analytical categories, however, and as has been pointed out, these labels can usefully encapsulate the respective programs associated with their leading figures, eg. permanent revolution vs socialism in one country, and how they are reflected in practice in different historical contexts. IMO, it's not difficult to ascertain when these terms are used as an epithet or have explanatory value without the need to submit these matters to lengthy discussion and arbitration. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#39181): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/39181 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]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
