this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2025
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He just said it to the wrong guy.
He did not, in fact he talked even worse about Stalin. Lenin and Trotsky were pretty much friends. This is some tankie bullshit
"Friends" is overselling it, and Stalin was the one that was elected because he was a more capable leader with a better understanding of Marxist theory. With Sverdlov and Lenin dead, the choice was fairly obvious.
Trotsky's plan of Permanent Revolution rested on the idea that the peasantry would erode socialism, because he thought they could not be truly aligned with the proletariat. That's why he wanted to kick off revolution in the west, hoping that would save Russian socialism. This was, of course, proven false, as socialism survived and trying to build up socialism together with the peasantry worked out.
Trotsky then spent much of his time attacking the soviet union, essentially whining due to his loss. I don't think using a pejorative meant for those who defend socialist countries and oppose imperialism helps your argument here.
Isn't that just in the case of later developing capitalist countries? My understanding was that he believed later developed capitalist countries would be unable to build the industrialized economy that creates a large proletariat class. So in these countries the existing proletariat would have to seize control and then later form an alliance with the peasantry down the road.
However, I don't think that means he only wanted to develop socialism with western nations. I mean Stalin and him had a major rift develop over Trotsky wanting to support the Chinese communist and Stalin siding with the kmt. One of the things I kinda agree with when it comes to Trotsky was his opposition to the socialism in one country policy.
This is kinda dependent on what year it is of course, Trotsky was kinda all over the place once he fell from grace.
When the Russian revolution failed to inspire successful revolution in the west, they reached a dillema. Trotsky feared the Russian peasantry would attack, and so wanted to go on the offensive first, forcing collectivization early, hoping that would inspire the western proletariat. Stalin wanted to build up socialism domestically, rather than attack the peasantry. The peasantry turned out to be capable allies, and thus Stalin was correct.
Stalin's insistence on supporting the KMT even later as a bullwark against Japan ended up being wrong, but it's also worth noting that the Chinese Trotskyists were wrong, wanting to attack both the KMT and Japan before kicking out Japan. Mao and the CPC formed a temporary alliance against Japan, then kicked out the KMT, which ended up being correct.
Tell me you've never read anything Lenin wrote without telling me: