Debate on workers' states on we love Trotsky

A REPLY TO SAM DRACONIAN ON WORKERS’ STATES AND ANOTHER REPLY TO DAVID YOURMAN ON CLASS NATURE OF EASTERN EUROPEAN EX-SOVIET STATES POST 1989/1991.


The Marxist theory of the State in understanding how it defends specific property relations, are crucial in determining what its class character is. A Capitalist state stops the Bourgeoisie being expropriated as a class. Workers’ states exist to prevent Capitalists restoring their total economic power. In Bureaucratised workers’ states whichever wing of Stalinism is in power the Workers’ states they defend is tied to how it affects their privileges. Unfortunately except for the early Soviet Union; Cuba (even there a workers’ state with bureaucratic deformations); and Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990 the workers’ states have been ruled by hardened bureaucratic castes. In this sense the exception to healthy workers’ states has dominated rather than classical norms of workers’ democracy. The upturn in world revolution can lead to more classical norms of embryonic workers democracy in mass struggles against Capitalism and Stalinism.


Sam Draconian does not understand Capitalist restoration requires the destruction of predominated nationalised industries/sectors of China’s economy. Draconian should read Trotsky’s writings on Soviet degenerated workers’ state such as “Class nature of Soviet State”, published in 1933; Trotsky’s “In defence of Marxism” and Joseph Hansen’s “Class nature of Eastern European states”, written in 1948/49 for a debate within the American Socialist Workers’ Party (SWP) and 4th International (FI). Both Trotsky and Hansen distinguish between classical norms of healthy workers’ states and reality of exceptions of brutal Stalinist political rule resulting from Imperialist pressures on isolated backward workers’ states.


Trotskyists defend in China; Eastern Europe; and ex-Soviet states is those industries which are nationalised against Capitalist restoration. David Yourman fails to understand the complexities of transitional societies in deep crisis such as ex-Soviet states and Eastern Europe. In my opinion the Bureaucracies still rule these countries. It is true in large parts of Eastern Europe the Capitalists have made major inroads but have not totally overthrown the Bureaucracies stranglehold of certain industries/sectors of these economies. Until the Capitalists have overthrown the Bureaucratic state apparatus and defeated workers resistance Capitalist states will not emerge.


In Russia there are still considerable gains to be defended with this workers’ state with Capitalist elements being weakened. Despite falls in certain industries there is no mass unemployment which you would find under Capitalism due to being ruled by profit motives. Marx called the organisation of Capitalism for profit the Law of Value. Just two or three nights ago I watched on Russia Today that despite falls in domestic car production (which will now be reversed with new technology) they are still maintaining a million workers in employment within this industry. There are forecasts that in the 2nd part of this year Russia’s economy will grow 7%+.


Draconian by not seeing the Stalinist character of Russia and China leads him to falsely characterise them as semi-Fascist. Trotsky when he wrote “In defence of Marxism” argued correctly that Fascism and Stalinism rests on different economic systems. Fascism is a product of extreme Capitalist crisis within Imperialist countries which is forced to carry out expansionist military adventures in order to re-organise world markets. Stalinism rests on Bureaucracies which has more power in history by Capitalism being overthrown.


If Capitalism was restored in Russia and China they would become at least semi-colonies. This is tied up to Trotsky’s theory of Permanent Revolution. Draconian does not spell out his political conclusions of his line that Russia and China are semi-Fascist. In Russia the Bureaucracy are still defending the Soviet military victories against Nazi Germany. They are fighting the rise of Fascism in Eastern Europe and any downgrading of Holocaust genocide as unique. If this was a semi-Fascist regime it would not being doing those things.


There is the beginning of a third phrase of open cold war. The 70th anniversary of Stalin-Hitler pact is being used to launch it. This is happening due to the failure to restore Capitalism in Russia, and economic problems of Capitalism not stopping an upsurge of the left. From 1989 to 2007 the Liberal Bourgeoisie utilised Stalinism’s problems to claim Socialism was dead. There will be a tactical change of line making the Russian workers’ state centre of a witch-hunt in order to isolate forces challenging Capitalism globally and within the Imperialist countries. Due to Imperialism threatening the Russian Bureaucracy they are arming Venezuela with tanks; warplanes; guns; and missiles. Does Draconian believe Venezuela wrong to do this in how you define Russia?