Questions
- What does “immaturity of the masses” mean? When & how is it used by the reformists?
- Would the masses be “perfectly mature” some day?
- Why would revolutionary workers accept or elect non-revolutionary leaderships? Is this always the case?
- “People get the government/leadership they deserve”. What does this mean? Is it true?
- Can a revolutionary leadership/organisation be created under the revolutionary process? Would that be enough?
- If Lenin was such a great leader, why didn’t he lead the revolution earlier? 7. Could the Russian revolution have succeeded without the Bolshevik party and/or its leadership?
- Trotsky claims that: “The peasantry can play a very great role in the revolution, but only an auxiliary role.” Why?
- Did the economic & social conditions in mid-war Germany lead automatically to Hitler?
- “Workers in general do not easily break with the party that awakens them to conscious life.” What do you think this means? How is it relevant for our tactics today?
- “Only gradually, only on the basis of their own experience through several stages can the broad layers of the masses become convinced that a new leadership is firmer, more reliable, more loyal than the old. To be sure, during a revolution, i.e., when events move swiftly, a weak party can quickly grow into a mighty one provided it lucidly understands the course of the revolution and possesses staunch cadres that do not become intoxicated with phrases and are not terrorized by persecution. But such a party must be available prior to the revolution inasmuch as the process of educating the cadres requires a considerable period of time and the revolution does not afford this time.” Is the statement ‘a weak party can quickly grow into a might one’ contradictory with Trotsky’s statement that workers do not easily break with parties that awaken them to conscious life? Given the need to create a revolutionary party in advance of a revolution, should revolutionaries just create a party and wait?
- What is a centrist party?
- Could the Spanish revolution have won? How?
You can also read a short summary and discussion of the text on Marxist.com.
