Trotskyism

Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. Trotsky considered himself a Leninist, arguing for the establishment of a vanguard party. He considered himself an advocate of orthodox Marxism. His politics differed in many respects from those of Stalin or Mao, most importantly in declaring the need for an international "permanent revolution". Numerous groups around the world continue to describe themselves as Trotskyist and see themselves as standing in this tradition, although they have diverse interpretations of the conclusions to be drawn from this.

Trotskyism Today

There are a wide range of Trotskyist organisations around the world, with particular concentrations in Europe and North America. Most are linked to one or another of the various international Trotskyist tendencies.

Related Topics:
Europe - North America

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Perhaps the largest such tendency is the United Secretariat of the Fourth International. It derives from the ISFI. Led by the Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire of France, it has been criticized as opportunist by many other Trotskyist groups for participating in governments with pro-capitalist parties, such as Lula's PT in Brazil, and the LSSP in Sri Lanka. It also uncritically supports Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba.

Related Topics:
United Secretariat of the Fourth International - ISFI - Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire

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In France's 2002 election, candidates calling themselves Trotskyist gained a total of 10% of the vote. In the run-off election, the LCR called for a vote for Chirac, the conservative politician, while many other Trotskyists called for a working-class abstention from the vote, since it only provided voters with a choice between the right-wing Chirac and the extreme right Le Pen.

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In France, the LCR is rivalled by Lutte Ouvrière and the Courant Communiste Internationaliste of Pierre Lambert. Each of the these groups maintains their own international tendency, as does the Socialist Workers Party, the largest Trotskyist group in Britain, which leads the International Socialist tendency from which the International Socialist Organization in the United States, the largest such group in that country, split some years ago. While the SWP and the ISO come from a Trotskyist background, they avoid describing themselves as Trotskyists. Britain's SWP's support of George Galloway, a former Labour Party MP, and the Respect Unity Coalition, which included Islamicist groups, has proved controversial within Trotskyism due to Galloway's admiration of Joseph Stalin during the Cold War and current support for the Iraqi insurgency. Similarly, the support of both the ISO and Solidarity (a U.S. group containing Trotskyists and other revolutionary socialists) for Ralph Nader, who openly opposes socialism, has been a source of controversy.

Related Topics:
Lutte Ouvrière - Courant Communiste Internationaliste - Socialist Workers Party - Britain - International Socialist Organization - United States - Labour Party - Respect Unity Coalition - Solidarity - Ralph Nader

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Also of importance is the Committee for a Workers' International led by the Socialist Party (formerly Militant) and the Committee to Refound the Fourth International led by Partido Obrero in Argentina. Another large, primarily Latin American based, tendency is the International Workers League led by the Unified Socialist Workers Party of Brazil.

Related Topics:
Committee for a Workers' International - Socialist Party - Militant - Committee to Refound the Fourth International - Partido Obrero - Argentina - International Workers League - Unified Socialist Workers Party - Brazil

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The International Committee of the Fourth International led by the Socialist Equality Parties publish the World Socialist Website, the most widely read Trotskyist publication on the internet. They garnered more votes than any Trotskyist tendency in the recent German election.

Related Topics:
International Committee of the Fourth International - Socialist Equality Parties - World Socialist Website

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There are also a wide variety of smaller groupings (although, as few disclose their membership, it is not certain that those listed above are the largest internationals). Among the better known are the International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist), formerly known as International Spartacist Tendency, , the League for the Fifth International led by the British Workers Power group, who call for a Fifth International and the Workers Liberty groups, who are the largest third camp Trotskyist tendency.

Related Topics:
International Communist League (Fourth Internationalist) - International Spartacist Tendency - League for the Fifth International - Workers Power - Fifth International - Workers Liberty - Third camp

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