THIS IS an ambitious work. Mandel's is a bold case for Trotsky as "the most important strategist for the socialist movement" in the twentieth century.
But it is no hero worship.
Mandel criticises Trotsky's belief that imperialism had made a further growth in production impossible. The western boom after the Second World war proved him wrong.
So too does he take issue with Trotsky's support for the banning of factions during the Russian civil war. It undermined socialist democracy and resistance to Stalin's bureaucratic terror.
As President of the Petrograd soviet, leader of the Russian revolution and Red army, Trotsky was undoubtedly one of the twentieth century's key figures. But he also left an important theoretical legacy.
Mandel is at his most passionate in defending this contemporary relevance of Trotsky's ideas. The law of combined and uneven development; the unity of the world economy; the importance of internationalism; Trotsky's Warnings on accicme nic wtiings on the national question - these are all of immense importance.
As we approach the new millenium Trotsky's theorisation of international political economy is as insightful as when first written. Imperialism continues to block the inaustrialisation of the dominated countries and opposes any significant democratisation of their political structures. Red Army founder Leon Trotsky joins in celebrations during the 1924 Red Week This is what workers are Trotsky also understood finding out in the "new" that the expression of internaSouth Africa - and it's a bitter tionalist sentiment and duty lesson: "In a very practical goes beyond statements and way the working class, as acts of international solidarsoon as it has conquered state ity. power, will begin to address the tasks of socialist revolu- Global movement tion. Without stages or inter- Part of the struggle in the ruptions, the revolution will national arena to build a party combine the achievement of which can reconcile and channational democratic goals nel the fragmented consciouswith the beginning of the ness of its members is the goals." achievement of socialist simultaneous struggle to build La global movement - one This is what happened in which fights for the exploited the Russian Revolution and in majority of all lands without China and Cuba. subordination to any one particular section.
After the rise of Stalinism this is the task Trotsky considered to be his most important. It was affirmed in the birth of the Fourth International.
None of the revolutionary currents to emerge in recent times has been willing to build such a pluralist democratic international. This means, according to Mandel, that 'the struggle for the mass international of tomorrow is today, and probably for a long time to come, linked to the struggle to build the Fourth International."
The International remains small. However, its coordination of socialist activities across the world; its unflinching hostility to capitalism in the face of the left's retreat; its consistent opposition to stalinism and support for the self-activity of the working class, are achievements in themselves.
The extent to which Trotsky's ideas can able to change the world are still to be proved in practise. It is for history to decide. Trotsky as Alternative is an excellent contribution to this struggle.