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1. Lenin(ism) = “…that the working class are unable to develop a socialist consciousness by their own efforts and thus require a group of professional revolutionaries from the bourgeois intelligentsia to lead them (the vanguard party) in an insurrection.” OK.

2. Bolsheviks (Leninists, presumably?) win the civil war which was (roughly) about who gets the power – in this case, Stalin. At first Trotsky didn’t agree with point (1) but then comes round but nonetheless is murdered presumably because he was a rival to Stalin in the pursuit for power – ie who becomes king. OK.

3. Trotskism – the state (post revolution Russia) = a socialist economy in the hands of a bureaucracy (presumably the bureaucrats were the ‘professional, bourgeois intelligensia’ rather than the ‘working class’); to be a truly ’socialist’ state, the bureaucracy should be in the hands of the workers (?); this cannot happen unless there is a world revolution. If this world revolution takes place, the pure workers – those who work with their hands – get to run the bureaucracy.

4. The SWP – Russia was NOT a socialist economy run by the professional vanguard etc but was instead a state capitalist country run by the capitalist class. The SWP works towards world revolution as in (3).

Yes – thanks – the precis helped. Basically who gets the money and the power; all are speaking for the ‘working class’. I am aware that the term working class itself is also subject to ferocious – murderous – dispute – eg. is the occupation of a ballerina working class, bourgeois, capitalist, worthy/unworthy? Come the (world) revolution, a group of people will sit by the guillotines.

what are the differences between leninists, stalinists and trotskyists?

All stalinists and trotskyists are leninists.

Leninism is basically founded on Lenin’s thought, developed in “What is to be Done?” and based on Karl Kautsky, that the working class are unable to develop a socialist consciousness by their own efforts and thus require a group of professional revolutionaries from the bourgeois intelligentsia to lead them (the vanguard party) in an insurrection.

Part of the stalinist-trotskyist schism is due to the Bolshevik leadership dispute that arose upon Lenin’s death in 1924. Stalin was a Bolshevik from the very start whereas Trotsky joined the Bolsheviks in 1917; some of Trotsky’s early writing was very anti-Bolshevik (esp. his famous words that the vanguard substituted itself for the class, the central committee for the party and the rule of one man for the central committee).

Trotsky was pushed out of the Bolsheviks, exiled and eventually murdered by a stalinist agent. He wrote much against Stalin and was a form of opposition. He always accepted the Bolshevik seizure of power in 1917, the principle of the Vanguard Party and argued that Russia was a degenerate workers state (ie. the USSR had a socialist economy but power was in the hands of a bureaucracy). The latter is argued in his book “The Revolution Betrayed.”

Stalin put forth the theory of “Socialism in One Country”. Trotsky, correctly, said socialism cannot be established in one country and that there must be a world revolution.

The Socialist Workers Party is a heterodox trotskyist party because their late leader Tony Cliff formulated, around 1948, the theory that Russia was in fact a state capitalist country and that the stalinist bureaucracy was in fact a collective capitalist class.

There – a brief overview. I hope it helps answer your question!

Could be the title of Loon-dsay’s autobiography (self-published of course).

It would be neat to imagine that only far-left organisations behave like this (though if anyone wants a prize for the far-left body, apart from Galloway’s hulking frame, most loathed by the rest of the left, all shades included, then SA would get it).

Having lived in Paris during the height of Chirac’s rule over Le Hotel de Ville, can I mention that the (as was) RPR can be a lot worse? As the forthcoming trial of the former French President (providing he doesn’t pull off an ill-health plea – as sounds possible) will show.

Not that they ever did me any harm.

Did I mention that pleasant council flat me and my partner (who worked as an independent-of-political-parties aide for the 8eme) had?

Now I have.

The fact that you hate him so much, based on nothing more than shit-stained conjecture and rumour, suggests he did his job well.

Fuck you and the hobby-horse you rode in on.

Well, if it helps you make up your mind, this is what the bumbling Etonian said of the sinister Trot:

“Redmond O’Neill proved his commitment to London and made a considerable mark on City Hall during his eight years working for the former Mayor. My thoughts, and those of everyone at the GLA, are with his friends and family at this sad time.”

If so, I would guarantee they’d be up-in-arms if their postal signing-forms and/or giro were delayed (as has happened to a couple of people I know).