Everything is relative in this world, where change alone endures. Leon Trotsky More Quotes by Leon Trotsky More Quotes From Leon Trotsky The boycott of parliamentary institutions on the part of anarchists and semianarchists is dictated by a desire not to submit their weakness to a test on the part of the masses, thus preserving their right to an inactive hauteur which makes no difference to anybody. A revolutionary party can turn its back to a parliament only if it has set itself the immediate task of overthrowing the existing regime. Leon Trotsky differencespartydesire Similar (of course, far from identical) irritations in similar conditions call out similar reflexes; the more powerful the irritation, the sooner it overcomes personal peculiarities. To a tickle, people react differently, but to a red-hot iron, alike. As a steam-hammer converts a sphere and a cube alike into sheet metal, so under the blow of too great and inexorable events resistances are smashed and the boundaries of "individuality" lost. Leon Trotsky ironpowerfulblow The theory of the permanent revolution, in contradiction to the theory of socialism in one country, was recognized by the entire Bolshevik party during the period from 1917 to 1923. Leon Trotsky revolutionpartycountry As for us, we were never concerned with the Kantian-priestly and vegetarian-Quaker prattle about the sacredness of human life. Leon Trotsky human-lifevegetarianquaker The Federated Republic of Europe-the United States of Europe-that is what must be. National autonomy no longer suffices. Economic evolution demands the abolition of national frontiers. If Europe is to remain split into national groups, then Imperialism will recommence its work. Only a Federated Republic of Europe can give peace to the world. Leon Trotsky europegivingcountry Our party's most outstanding mediocrity. Leon Trotsky outstandingmediocrityparty Once again, he who ignores the problems of revolutionary strategy would do better not to talk about revolutions at all. Leon Trotsky revolutionrevolutionaryproblem Simultaneously the Left Opposition in the course of several years carried on a struggle against the Stalinists in favor of collectivization. Leon Trotsky favorsstruggleyears The Soviet Union needs thinking and critical friends, such as are capable not only of singing hymns in the hours of success, but of not shrinking in the hour of defeat and danger. Leon Trotsky hymnssingingthinking The clearer and deeper the public opinion of the world, in the first instance the opinion of the working masses, will understand the contradictions and the difficulties of the socialist development of an isolated country, the higher will it appreciate the results achieved. The less it identifies the fundamental methods of Socialism with the zigzags and errors of the Soviet bureaucracy, the less will be the danger that, by the inevitable revelation of these errors and of their consequences, the authority, not only of the present ruling group, but of the workers' State itself, may decline. Leon Trotsky appreciateerrorscountry In spite of the existence of the Soviet Union, however, the proletarian revolution during the past years has not recorded a victory in any other country. Leon Trotsky countrypastyears Yet the proletariat has not only a vanguard, but also a rearguard, and besides the proletariat there are the peasantry and the bureaucracy. Leon Trotsky vanguardproletariatbureaucracy The Soviet State does not need either illusions or camouflage. It can claim only that world authority which is confirmed by the facts. Leon Trotsky doeworldneeds In France, the leader of Jacobinism perished on the guillotine; with us, the change of leadership was achieved by means of arrest and banishment. The technique of the process is gentler, but its essence is the same. Leon Trotsky leaderessencemean Socialist economy cannot reject the huge advantages of the world division of labor: on the contrary, it will carry it to the highest development. But in practise, it is not a question of the future socialist society, with an established internal equilibrium, but of the given technically and culturally backward country which in the interests of industrialisation and collectivization is forced to export as much as possible in order to import as much as possible. Leon Trotsky socialist-economydivision-of-laborcountry The main task of Socialism - the organization of Socialist production - remains still in the future. Leon Trotsky socialismtasksorganization It is quite clear that the German and Chinese revolutions in case of victory would have changed the face of Europe and Asia, and perhaps of the whole world. Leon Trotsky chinese-revolutionvictoryeurope In Russia itself the proletariat conquered in spite of the fact that there was no Soviet State in existence at the time elsewhere. For the victory are necessary, not only certain objective conditions, internal as well as external, but also certain subjective factors - the Party, the leadership, the strategy. Leon Trotsky victoryrussiaparty In 1925 - 27 the revolution in China was destroyed by the false revolutionary strategy of the Stalinist faction. To this last question I consecrate my book, Problems of the Chinese Revolution (issued by the Pioneer Publishers, New York 1932). Leon Trotsky chinese-revolutionnew-yorkbook I wrote a study about this question, The Lessons of October, which served as a pretext for my elimination from the government. Leon Trotsky octoberlessonsgovernment
