The Balance Sheet of October

This is an excerpt from a book highlighting the pluses and minuses of the Russian Revolution. It shows even a deformed socialism as Stalinism, will make great gains, that can't be met by capitalism.

By Ted Grant
July 2008



The Advances of the Planned Economy

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be.
Alfred Tennyson.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 was one of the greatest events in history. If we leave aside the heroic episode of the Paris Commune, for the first time millions of downtrodden workers and peasants took political power into their own hands, sweeping aside the despotic rule of the capitalists and landlords, and set out to create a socialist world order. Destroying the old Tsarist regime that held sway for a thousand years, they had conquered one-sixth of the world's land surface. The ancien régime was replaced by the rule of a new democratic state system: the Soviet of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies. It heralded the beginning of the world revolution, inspiring the hopes and dreams of millions who had lived through the nightmare of the first world war. Notwithstanding the terrible backwardness of Russia, the new Socialist Soviet Republic represented a decisive threat to the world capitalist order. It struck terror in bourgeois circles, who rightly regarded it as a threat to their power and privileges, but comforted themselves with the notion that the Bolshevik regime was likely to only last a matter of weeks. The nationalised property relations that emerged from the revolution, the foundations of an entirely new social system, entered into direct conflict with the capitalist form of society. Despite the emergence of Stalinism, this fundamental antagonism existed right up until the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even today events in Russia continue to haunt world politics, like some Banquo's ghost that continually overshadows the festivities of the capitalist class.

Read the rest here

RENEGADE EYE

Christopher Hitchens and Robert Service Discuss Trotsky

Christopher Hitchens discusses Leon Trotsky with the author of a recent biography of Leon Trotsky, Robert Service. Hitchens defends Trotsky to the best of his ability. While this discussion is not a debate, Hitchens comes off weak, because he is discussing Trotsky in Service's language, that of clash of personalities and intrigues. The article by Rob Sewell is a clenched fist as opposed to Hitchens's taps.

Bolshevism and Stalinism

Written by Rob Sewell
Wednesday, 13 January 2010

An avalanche of books has recently been published to discredit Lenin, Trotsky and the Russian Revolution. First and foremost of these writers is Professor Robert Service. The aim of his latest book on Trotsky is to prove that Bolshevism leads to Stalinism and totalitarianism. Here Rob Sewell sets the record straight and explains the huge gulf that divided genuine Bolshevism from the monster of Stalinism that was built on the physical destruction of the Bolshevik party.

here

RENEGADE EYE

Nepali Maoism and Prophet the “Outcast” Leon Trotsky

This article was written by a Trotskyist from Nepal, about an article a Maoist from Nepal wrote, admitting Maoism is a dead end, and that Maoist cadres in Nepal are interested in the revolutionary ideas of Trotskyism. This post I admit to my readers isn't for everyone. Just like on rightist blogs, some discussions are more for their own group. I disagree with the comrade's conclusion about Maoists and Trotskyists uniting. I believe unity is based totally on common principles.



70 Years after the brutal murder of Bolshevik Revolutionary Leader Comrade Leon Trotsky by Koba’s criminal regime (Joseph Stalin), Nepal’s Maoists for the first time have accepted that, in the current context of the globalised capitalism, the revolutionary ideas of Leon Trotsky are “more relevant” than those of his killers (Koba Stalin).

In a recent Maoist Publication “Rato Jhilko” (The Red Spark), Maoist ideologue, Baburam Bhattarai writes: “Today, the globalization of imperialist capitalism has increased many fold as compared to the period of October Revolution. The development of information technology has converted the world into a global village. However, due to unequal and extreme development inherent in capitalist imperialism has created inequality between different nations. In this context, there is still (some) possibility of revolution in a single country similar to the October revolution; however, in order to sustain the revolution, we definitely need a global or at least a regional wave of revolution in a couple of countries. In this context, Marxist revolutionaries should recognize the fact that in the current context, Trotskyism has become more relevant than Stalinism to advance the cause of the proletariat”. (The Red Spark, July 2009, Issue, -1, Page-10, our translation from Nepali language).

So far, Maoists were trying to hide the truth about the life and contribution of comrade Leon Trotsky from their own cadres. But after our intervention on this issue through the internet, it seems that, Nepali Maoists could not hide the truth about comrade Trotsky any more. As the 14 year old Maoist campaign in Nepal based on Stalinism and Maoism is heading to a dead end, and as the party cadres are demanding explanation from the Leaders, the latter have been forced to speak the truth about Bolshevik Revolution in general and about comrade Leon Trotsky in particular.

This recognition is also an indication of the fact that, Maoists are trying to draw a balance sheet of their decades long campaign, and have come to face the truth about the fallacy of Stalinism and Maoism.

We appreciate this positive first step of Nepali Maoists to embrace the truth, and urge them to educate their cadres about the life and work of comrade Leon Trotsky and his teaching on “permanent revolution”.

We also urge the Maoist leadership to take immediate steps to bring the Maoists and Trotskyists from different nations together in order to establish a global nucleus of revolutionary forces to fight imperialism more effectively.

RENEGADE EYE

The Stalin-Hitler Pact

Today is the seventieth anniversary of the infamous The Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, known as the Hitler-Stalin Pact. This article is a good analysis from a Marxist viewpoint, about the several wars together called World War II,.

Written by Ben Peck
Monday, 24 August 2009



In the early hours of August 24 seventy years ago Germany and Soviet Russia signed a "non-aggression pact", which divided the states of Northern and Eastern Europe into German and Soviet "spheres of influence", effectively slicing Poland into two halves. Ben Peck looks back at what happened and explains why such an incredible event could take place – and the price that was paid

Be sure to read the rest of the article HERE

RENEGADE EYE

John Peterson: The Spanish Revolution 70 Years Later

On November 13, 2008 at Mayday Books in Minneapolis, Graeme and I, attended a forum on the Spanish Civil War. The speakers included this blog team member John Peterson, talking about the Trotskyist position on the war. In addition an anarchist and moderator spoke.

A good movie to see about the Spanish Civil War is Ken Loach's Land and Freedom, based on George Orwell's Homage To Catalonia. In addition Bertolucci's 1900 deals with lessons similar to those of the Spanish Civil War.

RENEGADE EYE