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47indicted Cannon et al. during the cited June, 1940 exactly on this point that Trotsky, from 1907-13, 1923-debate. Since this could absolutely never lead even to 29, and 1938-40, seems a tragic vacillator.serious competition with the more energetically oppor- Trotsky suffered a visible agony of self-consciousnesstunistic CPs, and absolutely never toward socialist trans- on this point. During the most heroic and potent period!- fori_ation, all the party's notions of revolutionary stra- of his entire life, 1928-34, he is not only aware of histegy were either relegated to the realm of "foreign internal neurotic disorder, but manages to largely overpolicy"or out of even the universe itself, to the chiliastic come it on all important matters of that period. Never,domain of life after death, before or later, does his writing approach the quality ofreflected world-historical comprehension and potent willAs explored above, the principal miracle upon whichwe encounter in the writings completed during thatthe Trotskyist faith of 1940-58 was premised was the interval.ever-coming wonderous day upon which Stalinist lieswould be finally exposed and the entire left thus "My Life"resound with the admission that "Trotsky was, indeed,the only true son of Lenin." When this miracle failed to His autobiography, My L(tb, acknowledges hiswork, during the 1956-61 period, the "Old Trotskyism" neurotic flaw in several ways. Most notable is his incollapsedinto agnosticism, clusion of the text of Adolf Joffe's testament. Joffeidentifies the core of the character-flaw with as muchThe very circumstances of renewed radicalism which perfection as could be attained outside a thoroughhad exposed the fraud of this miracle had created an psychoanalytical treatment:opportunity for the demoralized organization to take ona new form of' material existence. The aging function-"You and I, dear Lev Davydovich, are bound to eacharies subsisting on a pittance, many of whom had had no other by decades of joint work, and, I make bold to hope,"regular life" outside the party for years, could either of personal friendship. This gives me the right to tell youretire into the shock of impoverished isolation or try to in parting what I think you are mistaken in. I have neverkeep the organization in existence .tbr themselves doubted the rightness of the road you pointed out, and asyou know I have gone with you for more than twenty"somehow." This was the essential point of agreement years, since the days of'permanent revolution.' But I havebetween Dobbs and the group around Mandel. always believed that you lacked Lenin's unbending will,So, the fact that the demoralized SWP existed in 1960- his unwillingness to yield, his readiness even to remain67 was itself the principal reason it continued to exist, alone on the path that he thought right in the anticipationof a future majority, of a future recognition by every oneThe "Old Trotskyism" was dead, discredited, but the of the rightness of his path. Politically, you were alwaysparty machine was still there and could be used for right, beginning with 1905, and I told you repeatedly thatsomething. The Dobbs-Hansen-Breitman alliance used with my own ears I had heard Lenin admit that even in1905, you, and nothe, were right.One does not lie beforeit, each part for a somewhat different particular pur- his death, and now I repeat this again to you...But youpose. The decayed relics of the old centrist method were have abandoned your rightness for the sake of an overappliedto soliciting gate-receipts from a new social valued agreement, or compromise. This is a mistake. Iferment -- whatever that might lead towards. To hold repeat: politiea_y you have always been right, and nowmore right than ever. Some day the party will realize it,the machinery together it was necessary to avoid un- and history will not fail to accord recogniition. Then don'tnecessary shocks in making the transition. The new lose your courage if some one leaves you now, or as manyagnosticism had to be packaged in the tattered literary come to you, and not as soon, as we all would like. Youtrappings of the dead episcopal faith: "The New are right, but the guarantee of the victory of your rightnesslies in nothing but the extreme unwillingness toTrotskyism." yield, the strictest straightforwardness, the absoluterejection of all compromise; in this very thing lay theThe Actual TrotskyThe actual Lev Davidovitch Trotsky is a contradictoryfigure: In his essential features and his best work he is a/secret of Lenin's victories. Many a time I have wanted totell you this, but only now have I brought myself to do so,as a last farewell."near-peer to Luxemburg and Lenin. Intellectually, he This flaw is Trotsky squatting as a tolerated celebritycompares poorly with the magnificent Rosa, although in of the Menshevik "swamp" during the pre-war period.this respect he stands considerably above Lenin. He No competent Trotskyist apologist "explanation" cansuffers most clearly in contrast to Lenin's potency. Lenin effectively diminish the literal intent absolute sincerity ofmay have been interior to Trotsky in brilliance, but he Lenin's fierce denunciation of Trotsky's wretchedwas one of the most extraordinary individuals in history neurotic character-traits during that period. In suchin his capacity to act .li'om self-.consciousness. It was miserable exhibits as his sychophantic public adulation