quotes
How many Aristotle’s are herding swine? How many swine herds are sitting on thrones?
All abstractions become a weapon in the hands of the class enemy. (Trotsky)
Beyond the facts, I looked for laws. Naturally, this lead me - more than once - to hasty and incorrect generalizations. Especially in my younger years, when my knowledge - book aquired - and my experience in life were still inadequate. But in every sphere, barring none, I felt that I could only move and act when I held in my hand the thread of the general. - Trotzki
- Beware of hasty generalization → “from the particular to the general”
- Theory is necessary for practice → “from the general to the particular”
On the fourth international - Our party demands each of us, totally and completely.
Dear friends, we are not a party as other parties. Our ambition is not only to have more members, more papers, more money in the treasury, more deputies. All that is necessary, but only as a means. Our aim is the full material and spiritual liberation of the toilers and exploited through the socialist revolution. Nobody will prepare it and nobody will guide it but ourselves. […]
The great events which rush upon mankind will not leave of these outlived organizations one stone upon another. Only the Fourth International looks with confidence at the future. It is the world party of Socialist Revolution! There never was a greater task on the earth. Upon every one of us rests a tremendous historical responsibility.
Our party demands each of us, totally and completely. Let the philistines hunt their own individuality in empty space. For a revolutionary to give himself entirely to the party signifies finding himself.
Yes, our party takes each one of us wholly. But in return it gives to every one of us the highest happiness: the consciousness that one participates in the building of a better future, that one carries on his shoulders a particle of the fate of mankind, and that one’s life will not have been lived in vain.
The fidelity to the cause of the toilers requires from us the highest devotion to our international party. The party, of course, can also be mistaken. By common effort we will correct its mistakes. In its ranks can penetrate unworthy elements. By common effort we will eliminate them. New thousands who will enter its ranks tomorrow will probably be deprived of necessary education. By common effort we will elevate their revolutionary level. But we will never forget that our party is now the greatest lever of history. Separated from this lever, everyone of us is nothing. With this lever in hand, we are all.
Transclude of democracy#^892407
Transclude of democracy#^70a5fe
„Regierungen drücken nicht die systematisch wachsende ‚Reife‘ eines ‚Volkes‘ aus, sondern sie sind ein Produkt des Kampfes zwischen verschiedenen Klassen und den verschiedenen Schichten innerhalb ein und derselben Klasse, und schließlich der Einflüsse äußerer Kräfte – Bündnisse, Konflikte, Kriege usw. Außerdem muss noch hinzugeügt werden, dass eine Regierung, wenn sie erst einmal am Ruder ist, sich viel länger halten kann als das Kräfteverhältnis, dem sie entstammt. - trotzki