Re: [Marxism] Fwd: The Left Is under No Obligation to Vote for Hillary Clinton

[Thomas via Marxism]

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A Comment From 1905 On Opportunist Lefties Who Whine For Clinton Victory

From: 1905, by Leon Trotsky; CHAPTER 25 Our Differences.  

This article was published in the Polish journal Przeglad social-demokratyczny 
in the period of blackest reaction in Russia, almost a total standstill in the 
working-class movement, and the Mensheviks’ renegade disavowal of the 
revolution and its methods.



“You are perfectly right in saying,” Lassalle wrote to Marx in 1854, at a time 
of extreme world reaction, “that the present apathy cannot be overcome by 
theoretical means. I would go so far in extrapolating this thought as to say 
that apathy has never been overcome by purely theoretical means, that is, the 
theoretical overcoming of political apathy produced disciples, sects or 
unsuccessful practical movements, but has never yet produced either a real 
world movement or a universal mass movement of minds. 

“The masses are drawn into the current of a movement, not only practically but 
also intellectually, by the dynamic force of real events alone.”

Opportunism cannot understand this. 

It may seem paradoxical to say that the principal psychological feature of 
opportunism is its inability to wait.  But that is undoubtedly true. 

In periods when friendly and hostile social forces, by virtue of their 
antagonism and their interaction, create a total political standstill; when the 
molecular process of economic growth, by intensifying the contradictions, not 
only fails to disturb the political balance but actually strengthens it and, as 
it were, makes it permanent – in such periods opportunism, devoured by 
impatience, looks around for “new” ways and means of putting into effect what 
history is not yet ready for in practice. 

Tired of its own inadequacy and unreliability, it goes in search of “allies.” 

It hurls itself avidly upon the dung-heap of liberalism. 

It implores it, it appeals to it, it invents special formulae for how it could 
act. 

In reply, liberalism merely contaminates it with its own political 
putrefaction. 

Opportunism then begins to pick out isolated pearls of democracy from the 
dung-heap.  It needs allies.  It rushes from place to place, grabbing possible 
allies by their coattails. 

It harangues its own adherents, admonishing them to be considerate towards all 
potential allies.  “Tact, more tact, still more tact!” It is gripped by a 
special disease, the mania of caution in respect to liberalism, the sickness of 
tact; and, driven berserk by its sickness, it attacks and wounds its own party.

Opportunism does not know how to wait.  And that is precisely why great events 
always catch it unawares. 

They knock it off its feet, whiz it around like a chip of wood in a whirlpool 
and sweep it forward, knocking its head now against one bank, now against the 
other. It tries to resist, but in vain. 

Then it submits to its fate, pretends to be happy, waves its arms to show that 
it is swimming, and shouts louder than anyone else.  And when the hurricane has 
passed, it creeps ashore, shakes itself, complains of headache and painful 
limbs and, in the wretched hangover following its euphoria, spares no harsh 
words for revolutionary “dreamers.”



-Original Message-
>From: Louis Proyect via Marxism 
>Sent: Nov 4, 2016 6:53 PM
>To: Thomas F Barton 
>Subject: [Marxism] Fwd: The Left Is under No Obligation to Vote for Hillary
>Clinton
>

>DSA members staying strong.
>
>http://inthesetimes.com/features/dsa_clinton_left_support.html
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>Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm
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[Marxism] Fwd: The Left Is under No Obligation to Vote for Hillary Clinton

[Louis Proyect via Marxism]

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DSA members staying strong.

http://inthesetimes.com/features/dsa_clinton_left_support.html
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