The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-13
64-PAGE PAMPHLET ON
LERINISM OR TROTSKYISM
NOW IN PREP RATIOK

This installnent is part Of PAM
phlet"Leninism or TrotzkyIsm" now |
in preparation. II includes articles
by three outstanding figures in the |
Russian Communist Party: G.
ZinoVieV, !. Stain and c. kamen-
eV, to form "a most timely and i'm
portant contribution to a discussion
Of world interest. The pamphlet |
will be Of 81 pages, selling at 20 |
cents and will be ready at the con-
eIusion Of this serial publication.
mental questions of the revolution,
with the mutual relations of the diff
ferent classes during the revolution,
with the question of permanent revo-
luton" or Comrade Lenin's theory,
and this is the question of the role
played by the peasantry in the revolu-
ton, the question of the paths lead
ing to socialism in an agrarian coun-
| try, the question of the methods and
conditions for the realization of the
| proletarian dictatorship in a country
in which the peasant population pre-
ponderates. This is no contention on
abstract formulas. The theory of per-
manent revolution is based upon a
complete underestimation of the role
played by the peasantry; it replies to
one question only; it tells how power
cannot be seized or maintained under
these conditions.
Trotsky's viewpoint, summed up
from study of the Lessons of Octo
ber," may be expressed as follows:
ION the eve of the events of 1905, Len
in impaired a peculiar character to
the Russian revolution by the form
ula: Democratic dictatorship of the
proletariat and peasantry. But, as
later developments showed, this form
ula had only significance for one
stage on the way" This is followed
by literary dissertation to the effect
that this stage was stage on the way
to Trotsky's formula. And this is the
actual intellectual kernel of all Trot-
Sky's latest writings. Trotsky shuffles
his Trotskyism beneath Leninism with
the whole of the literary art and talent
peculiar to him. This last book of his
IS not written for the whole party, but
'or the younger generation now grow
ing up, for the youth who within a
year or two will have to determine the
destiny of the party.
The aim of Trotsky's latest book,
1877" is to take revenge for the
twelve years in which Lenin exposed
Trotsky's wretched policy, to prove
that the revolution confirms his (Trot-
sky's) theory, and to poison the minds
of the future leaders of the party, now
studying in the Communist UNIVERSE
ties, workers faculties, colleges, etc,
by this shuffling of Trotskyism into
Leninism. We cannot permit this aim
to be realized.
In this book ("1917), Trotsky in
weighs against Zinoviev, Kamenev, Ry-
kov and others. l shall deal further
with this, and with my own errors,
but am Of the opinion that the re-
proaches made in this book are not
intended for us only The names of
kamenev and Zinoviev are given, but
Lenin is meant. The question of the
fate of Bolshevism may be put in the
following form: Lenin had an excel
lent theory, but the disciples of Lenin
did not know how to apply it. they
did not recognize the needs of the
concrete situation. The formula was
right, but it has been badly carried
out by this or that Bolshevik. II is
possible to put the question in this
manner, but 1t can also be stated as
follows: II we draw all the logical
conclusions from the feminist form
ula, we are bound to land in a bog.
The formula itself is wrong, and this
wrong formula has been employed
logically, correctly. In the first case
we have justification of the Bolshe-
visit theory and an indication Of the
errors Of individual Bolsheviki, but in
the second case, If we are told that
Lenin's nearest disciples accepted his
formula and landed in bog thru ap-
plying II literally, then we see-en-
lightened as we already are by Trot-
sky's assertion as to the anti-revolu-
tionary features of Leninism, and by
his statement that Trotsky's theory.
and not Lenin's has been Completely
confrmed"-then we see that the
blows struck are not directed against
| ANNSACf ohu 6ihONACN dlOHts nut LUTQ
them at Lenin's main formula.
Lenin In April, 1917.
Is 1t true that Bolshevism, in order
to solve the problems of the revolu-
ton, was obliged to withdraw from its
past? Is it true that the theory of
the revolutionary democratic dictator
ship OF the proletariat and peasantry
proved inadequate? What were the
actual facts, and how were these re-
garded by Lenin?
What really happened-as seen by
Lenin as we'll as by us-was that the
Bolshevist idea Of the Revolutionary
democratic dictatorship Of the prole-
tariat and peasantry" was fully and
completely realized in the Russian rev.
olution, and, after its realization, be-
gan to develop into the Bolshevist idea
Of the dictatorship Of the proletariat.
here take the opportunity of refer
ring to one of the works in which Len
In laid down his principles at that
time: Letters on Tactics" in which
he comments on and explains to the