What is Crypto-Trotskyism? by Prairiefire



I think a very concise summary of the difference between Trotskyism and communism, is that given by Harry Haywood in his autobiography _Black Bolshevik_. I highly recommend this book.



1. Trotsky and his followers saw thought that the center of gravity of what they considered the proletarian revolution was in Europe and Amerikkka. This is contrary the Leninist tradition which puts a great deal of emphasis on imperialism, parasiticism, and, the need for national liberation. Because Trotsky thought that socialism would first happen in the imperial centers, he generally downplayed the significance of national liberation.



2. The above is connected with his theory of "permanent revolution"; revolution in a nation where productive forces are backward is impossible without help from a country where productive forces are more advanced. This is a defeatist attitude. "We can't build socialism, because we don't have the technology." So, we need to either abandon socialism altogether until we are advanced enough like the West, or, we need a revolution in the West to bail us out. Stalin of course rejected this nonsense and proved that industrialization is possible, even in the Soviet Union. Trotskyists criticized Stalin's successful approach as "socialism in one country" - as though building socialism in a single country necessarily excluded internationalism



3. Idealism and metaphysics. Trotskyists have never made a revolution anywhere, unless of course you count them as a part of the October revolution. In which case, you are still talking about socialism in one country. Trotskyists, like anarchists, generally dream up how they think the world revolution should happen. And, when the reality of revolutions fall short of their ideal, they reject it entirely. Stalin disproved Trotskyism. He build socialism in the Soviet Union and even spread revolution across Eastern Europe and into a quarter of Germany. Trotskyism's idealism is reflected in their dumb attempts to form world parties, i.e., resurrecting a Trotskyist Comintern. Their approach leads to endless bickering, opportunism, and splits. Since they are fundamentally idealists, who have cast off the material world, there is really nothing to stop them from splitting: no scientific court of appeals, so to speak. There are probably more Trotskyist groups than there are Christian sects.



4. Today Trotskyism has little to do with the proletariat. Trotskyists contend for the leadership of the labor aristocracy in the 1st world. They are in competition with fascists, social democrats, syndicalists, etc. who all vie to lead this reactionary class.



These points are how I would very quickly sum up Trotskyism. Now, crypto-Trotskyists are people who essentially hold Trotskyists positions, yet claim to be something else. For example, there are organizations out there that in effect, deny that the center of gravity of revolution is mostly/entirely in the 3rd world. They see the parasitic labor aristocracy as revolutionary. They will vie to lead this reactionary class. Perhaps they say they intend to lead 90% of Amerikkkans against the top 10%. They also try to resurrect the Comintern. They have an idealist, metaphysical, non-Marxist approach and style of work. They often uphold some version of the theory of productive forces or technological determinism, etc. There are even crypto-Trotskysit who claim to uphold Stalin and Mao. One recent example is a group in New Zealand.



There are other smaller points we could cover that are connected to the above points. For example, many of these forces reject math. I have even seen them say "numbers don't mean anything", they have a completely unscientific approach.



Source: http://marxleninmao.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=MarxtoMaoandbeyond&action=display&thread=1118939106

