Date: Mon, 18 Mar 96 09:59:07 GMT
From: Adam Rose <adam-AT-pmel.com>
To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Subject: Re: Critique of Trotskyism-and Trotsky



I don't want to get into a long discussion of this, but 
when Carlos writes :

> I do
> believe that Trotsky *never* resolved the question of the party
> building process, democratic centralism, etc.  

I think this is nonsense.

In the "Lessons of October" he writes something like
"without a party, behind the back of the party, using
a substitue for the party, there can be no socialist
revolution".

Not joining the Bolsheviks, he described as "the greatest
mistake of my life".

I think declaring the formation of the fourth international,
the transitional programme etc, lead to problems at the time
and later. But they were attempts to break out of the isolation
his supporters found themselves in, in extremely difficult
circumstances - what has been described as "the midnight of the
century". I would describe them as "neccessary mistakes".

When saying things like : "Trotsky *never* resolved the 
question of the party building process, democratic centralism,"
, you should bear in mind his role in the foundation of the Comintern.

Adam.

Adam Rose
SWP
Manchester
UK

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