Marx-Engels |  Lenin  | Stalin |  Home Page

  Trotsky The Traitor
 

Alex Bittleman

 

CHAPTER IV
Soviet Democracy Vindicated

If TROTSKY, Hearst, Hitler & Co. had any ideas that the extension and development of Soviet democracy would provide them with new loopholes and wedges for successful conspiracy against the Soviet Union, they must be feeling today bitterly and sadly disappointed. In fact, one need not guess about it. They show this bitter disappointment all too plainly.

The new Soviet Constitution-the Stalin Constitution-has been rightly hailed by the toiling masses of the world as a blessing, as a triumph of progress and socialism, as a victory over decaying capitalism which produces and nurtures fascism. But what did that mean? It meant, among many other things, that fascism and the agents of fascism cannot for long live in the Soviet Union. This is so far the only country in the world where fascism cannot thrive. And when some of its agents and Trotskyite collaborators nevertheless do make an attempt to operate, they meet a quick and sure end as soon as they are discovered.

This can only bring joy to the hearts of the workers, all exploited classes, all friends of progress and true enemies of fascism.

How many times have we heard expressions of sincere lamentation over the fact that if only a few decisive measures against the fascist generals in Spain had been taken in time, as urged by the Communists, how much blood and suffering could have been spared the Spanish people?

And in Germany: if only Social-Democracy had joined with the Communists in dealing with the Hitler gang courageously and decisively, how much agony would have been spared the German people, and how much of a safer place to live in the world would be today?

Yet some of these same people, who sincerely lament these historic failures, seem to feel a bit uncertain about the justification for the drastic measures taken by the Soviet government against the Trotskyite traitors and collaborators of fascism. To these we must say: Why do you refuse to learn from experience? Why do you persist in repeating the same errors-criminal errors, such costly errors-over and over again?

Certainly, you do not wish to encourage fresh Trotskyite conspiracies in the Soviet Union? Surely, you do not want to embolden Hitler or the Japanese military clique to speculate on disintegration within the Soviet Union resulting from Trot­skyite conspiracies? Because to encourage such hopes in the fascist aggressors means to speed them on to more reckless provocations. It means to hasten the outbreak of war which will spare no country. It means to encourage Hitler to try in Czechoslovakia what he is doing in Spain.

Do you want all that? Of course not. That being the case, certain practical conclusions have to be drawn. And one of them is this: Make Hitler, Japan, and all fascist aggressor & understand that conspiracies with Trotsky and the Trotskyite& do not work in the Soviet Union. That was what the Soviet government has done. And for this it deserves the gratitude of the enemies of fascism in all countries.

Make Hitler and the other war aggressors also understand that such and similar conspiracies will not work in other countries either. This is what Hitler and Mussolini ought to 􀀰 taught in Spain.

And progressive people everywhere understand that. But not so the leader of the Socialist Party of America, Norman Thomas. He too draws conclusions from the Moscow trial. He began to draw them even before the trial was over. And here it is:
"Socialists and workers generally are justified in seeing in this situation the natural outgrowth of the Communist theory which would ruthlessly sacrifice the individual to the alleged interests of the mass, which interest of the mass is interpreted in terms of the revolutionary group able to get and keep power, a group which permits no proper channel of criticism within its governmental organization."
Never mind the mendacity of Thomas trying to speak in the name of all Socialists and even of "workers generally". The American workers have not forgotten, nor will they soon forget, Thomas' campaign to elect Landon on the phony theory that Landon would inject some iron into the blood of American labor so it will fight better. So, let's overlook this pontifical gesture of taking everybody under Norman Thomas' fold. But what about the conclusion itself? It is purposely written in very involved terms but it can be easily deciphered. And here is what it means:

1. The building of socialism in the Soviet Union is not in the interests of the masses. It is only an "alleged" interest, not a true one, so says Thomas the "Socialist".

2. The Soviet government is really not the government of the people, says Thomas again. It is only a "revolutionary group able to get and keep power"-a Stalin group.

3. Soviet democracy, which built a socialist society, which is today the strongest bulwark of peace and progress, whom the Spanish people consider the greatest blessing in their hour of need and stress, this Soviet democracy means nothing at all to the "democracy loving" Thomas. No, says Thomas, it is no such thing; it is only a group in power which, because it won't give the Trotsky-Hitler combination a free hand to operate in the Soviet Union, "permits no proper channels of criticism within its governmental organization".

This is no mere philosophizing, rotten as it is. It is very actual and has an immediate practical purpose. It is to bolster up the astounding statement that the Trotsky-Hitler conspiracy is "the natural outgrowth of the Communist theory". These are Thomas' words. They will be found, in the above context, in the semi-Trotskyite sheet that calls itself The Socialist Call, of January 30, 1937. It means: the conspiracy is to be blamed not on the conspirators and their fascist partners. No, says Thomas, blame it on the Communist theory as he, Thomas, interprets it.

This sort of conclusion is obviously needed by Thomas also to justify his toleration of the Trotskyites in the Socialist Party and his membership on the "Committee for the Defense of Trotsky". But fair-minded people and true Socialists will want an answer to this question:

How far is it from considering the Trotsky conspiracy-which includes the murder of Kirov-"a natural outgrowth of Communist theory" to actually justifying the Trotsky-fascist conspiracy?

It is not very far. One may lead into the other

CHAPTER V
A Menace to Progressive Mankind

TROTSKYISM is a menace to all progressive mankind. Trotsky's conspiracies with Rudolph Hess-Hitler's deputy­and with the Japanese military-fascist clique are a menace to the peace of the world. Trotsky's conspiracies against the anti­fascist People's Front movements in Spain and in all countries are a menace to progress and peace. They are direct help to fascism. Trotskyite conspiracies within labor organizations are a menace to the much needed unity of labor against the economic royalists.

Labor and all progressives are vitally interested in stamping out Trotskyism wherever it raises its head.

It is well known that Trotsky's agents in Spain are helping the fascists to undermine the People's Front government and to destroy it. In Spain, as in the Soviet Union, Trotskyites are working for the def eat of democracy and for the victory of fascism.
Under cover of revolutionary-sounding phrases, Trotskyism in Spain is in fact an ally of Franco and Hitler. Covering themselves with proposals that sound "more revolutionary" than the programs of the Socialists and Communists, the Trotskyites in Spain seek to break up the unity of labor and of the people. In Spain, as in the Soviet Union, Trotsky is exposed as an ally and collaborator of bloody fascism.

Trotsky in Mexico, where he now resides, is playing the same reactionary and treacherous role. He is becoming the darling of Mexican reaction and fascism. Listen to the voice of Vicente Lombardo Toledano, a progressive leader ·of Mexican labor, the head of the Mexican Confederation of Labor which went on record as opposed to Trotsky's residence in Mexico. Says Toledano:
"Trotskyism preaches a tactic of struggle opposed to the policy of the People's Front •.•• Trotskyism in practice is equivalent to the policies of the reactionaries who constantly seek to divide the pro­letariat, to confuse the people, to place the masses in opposition to the progressive government, in order that they may prosper from the division among the democratic forces. Quite naturally, therefore, the Mexican Workers' Confederation does not want Trotsky in my country." (New Masses, February 2.)
The Mexican workers and progressives do not want Trotsky in Mexico because Trotsky is a traitor and an enemy. But the reactionaries do want Trotsky. Says Toledano:
"Events have already borne out the correctness of our judgment: conservative sectors of opinion, the newspapers of the bourgeoisie, the reactionary intellectuals and students, and those small groups of workers loo by treacherous leaders have applauded Trotsky's arrival in my country. Mexico's conservatives have never defended the right of asylum until today; for the first time, they now speak of respect for the sacred right of hospitality, seal of pride in our gentlemanly tradition." (Ibid.)
Mexico's reactionaries and fascists are the defenders of Trotsky. Why? Because Trotsky works for their cause.

The same in the United States. Hearst is the ·outstanding champion of Trotsky. Hearst's press is becoming Trotsky's megaphone to wage war against the peace movements of all countries, against the anti-fascist People's Front, against the Soviet Union.'

The American labor movement also has some hitter experi­ences with the agents of Trotsky. In strikes, Trotskyites invariably attack the unions and seek to disrupt the unity of the workers. Recent examples of such treachery are found in the rubber strike in Akron and in the great victorious strike of the maritime workers.

They won their way into the Workers' Alliance--the organ­ization of the unemployed-and carry on there campaigns of disruption and sabotage.

They have entered the Socialist Party and, through their secret groups and conspiratorial actions, are trying to make it a vehicle for their treacherous policies against labor, against progress, against peace. And in many places they have succeeded only too well because of the tolerance of certain leaders. of the Socialist Party.

In his speech to the people of New York at Madison Square· Garden, Earl Browder drew attention to the fact that:
"It is on the war question, above all, that the horrible nature of the Trotskyite-fascist alliance stands out most clearly."
Browder called to the attention of his hearers the fact that one point in the agreement between Trotsky and the Japanese General Staff was that the Trotskyites, if their plot to overthrow the Soviet government succeeds, would provide the Japanese with oil and other supplies in case of a Japanese war against the United States.

Browder then asked:
"Is there anything in the conduct of the Trotskyites in our country which would tend to contradict this agreement of their leader? No, on the contrary, the American Trotskyites could not have acted differently if they had known of and agreed to this policy. For several years now, the American Trotskyites have been hammering on the coming war between the United States and Japan, in order to demand, first, that all preparations must be made to insure the defeat of the United States in such a war, and second, consequently, that a fight be made against all idea of mutual assistance between the Soviet Union and the United States. Those are exactly the things that would be required by Trotsky of his American followers in order to carry out his agreement with the Japanese General Staff."**
(New Masses, February 2.)
As usual, as was the case also in the days of Lenin, Trotskyism carried out deeds of treason to the people under the mask of revolutionary sounding words. "Left'' phrases--reactionary deeds-Lenin used to say of Trotskyism. Now, too, the American Trotskyites are preparing to work for the victory of the Japanese fascist-military clique in the event of a Japanese attack upon the United States-all in the name of the "revolutionary class struggle". We have been trying to unmask this­ fraud all the while. Today, however, even the origin of this fraud has become known. It was plotted out by the Japanese General Staff in collaboration with Trotsky.

Trotskyism, like its ally, fascism, is a menace to the world. It is a menace to its peace, its progress, its democracy. It is a menace to labor and its organizations because Trotskyism is the carrier of disruption and of treason. Where Trotskyism thrives the unity of labor, the unity of the people against fascism and war, are always in danger.

Drive the Trotskyites out of your midst!