What Libertarians Can Learn From Trotsky
Libertarian philosophy is the greatest philosophy known to man on its face. It’s consistent approach and superior thinkers and economists make it extremely attractive for those of us that have found the hypocrisy and contradictory ideas of democrats and republicans too laborious to entertain. But libertarian political philosophy perpetually fails. With candidates like Gary Johnson and Jo Jorgensen milquetoast would be an upgrade. After someone reads Rothbard and learns true venomous hatred for the state it’s impossible to support the socially awkward fiscally conservative approach the LP champions every four years, and judging by the vote totals a lot of libertarian leaning people feels this way. As Pete Quinones put it, the LP needs radicals and bomb throwers to attract the more radical elements of its base, and, I would add, to combat the growing tyranny and totalitarianism of the U.S. There’s nothing exciting about the pragmatic left leaning social libertarianism that is in fashion today.
The left understands the dynamics and propaganda needed to create excitement around a movement. They pull no punches when calling conservatives and libertarians NAZIs and racists. They know this hyperbolic demonization of those with differing opinions will, at the very least, scare people into joining their ranks. They’re not afraid of pushback or being jailed because their tactics have proven to be effective.
Years prior to the Bolshevik Revolution Trotsky had been convinced that the Menshevik philosophy of mediation was a superior strategy to Lenin’s Bolshevik Revolution strategy. But after being exiled, a political dissident in Siberia, and escaping to New York City in 1917, he found flaws in the belief that the Communist Party could petition the Czar in the name of the workers due to the infiltration of the party by liberal imperialism and Socialist patriotism that he viewed as antithetical to the workers’ interests. He had not become a peacenik, far from it - he despised pacifists. No, he still considered himself a revolutionary, but at the time he found the Menshevik arguments more persuasive than Lenin’s Bolshevism.
When Woodrow Wilson announced America’s intent to enter World War I Trotsky was already living in NYC, and had established himself, through articles and speeches, with the Socialist Party of NYC. Soon after Wilson’s announcement The Socialist Party congregated to vote on the party agenda surrounding the war. Morris Hillquit, a prominent member of the NYC Socialist Party, and a man with political aspirations, presented as an agenda that supporting the draft, as it was law, while opposing the war through speech was the only patriotic path forward for the party. Trotsky presumably predicted Hillquit would present such an agenda. He had formulated his own agenda. Trotsky presented a radical revolutionary agenda that promoted draft dodging, therefore law-breaking, as its core tenant. He objected to Hillquit’s Socialist Patriotism as weak and kowtowing to the corporate banking entities responsible for the war. Hillquit’s ambitions and agenda eventually won the night, but not without its casualties. Trotsky’s proposal garnered support from seventy-nine voting members that would continue evangelizing radical revolutionary Trotskyism long after their Russian counterpart had left the United States.
After ten weeks in NYC the news reached Trotsky that the Czar had fallen and a provisional government had been installed. He, like people around the world, celebrated. For Trotsky and many other revolutionaries, including Lenin, this was the opportunity they’d been waiting for. The provisional government was made up of bourgeois liberal imperialists that Trotsky saw as weak and vulnerable. The revolutionaries knew the autocratic capitalism of the Czar would likely be adopted by the provisional government and used to continue the exploitation of the workers if they didn’t act fast. Trotsky and his Russian comrades living in NYC quickly arranged for their departure. The second phase of the revolution was returning to Russia.
The left has continuously learned from the writings and teachings of Trotsky’s time in America. Malcolm X, having found influence in Trotsky’s writings on Black Nationalism, took to the streets aggressively and violently demanding land, freedom, and sanctuary for the black population. Martin Luther King Jr took advantage of the violence. He’d long discovered no amount of pleading or preaching to these violent mobs would work, but he knew that the authorities would view all black men the same in their racist haste to shut the black man up. He presented authorities with an ultimatum - deal with me now or the violence would continue to escalate. Either way the civil rights movement would not be denied. The bourgeois liberal elites dealt with Dr King, Civil Rights was achieved, and the violent Black Nationalist movement lost its steam.
As I pointed out in my last substack it is virtually impossible to use the system to overtake the system. This made the Trump election a rare opportunity for the populist right; an opportunity they let slip through their fingers. Their mistake was thinking electing Trump was enough to institute their preferred policies. They soon found out that wasn’t the case, and the lack of organizing allowed The Cathedral and the left to coordinate and obstruct Trump’s attempts to implement the policies he was elected to implement.
Taking control of government is a means to an end and not the end itself. The left, having learned their lessons of history, understands this. For months they looted and rioted, infiltrating the ranks of protestors to destroy property and businesses in cities around the country. The media and political elite opposed to Trump gave them cover - at times blatantly lying and calling protests peaceful while showing images of city blocks burning. This implied threat - if you reelect Trump this will continue - terrified many into voting for Biden. As if the physical destruction wasn’t enough, states around the country locked down businesses, schools, churches, and synagogues under the pretense that the intent of the policies was to stop COVID. Businesses that had survived the riots were forced to shutdown and many found themselves insolvent and out of business for good. This action has created the largest transfer of wealth in decades, thrown eight million people into poverty, and the Marxist left cheer it on.
Some people find it confusing why anti-corporate leftists have aligned themselves with multinational corporations. It really isn’t complicated. The Marxists understand that the more people out of work, with no hope for the future, financially destroyed, and nowhere to turn the larger the pool of people to recruit from to join their ranks demanding that the state be the provider and employer of all. The revolution is well underway.
Now Biden is, presumptively, the provisional government. The left feeling successful in their destruction and alliances as Trump leaves office understands that this is their opportunity to put pressure on a weak vulnerable figure in order to limit freedoms and expand the powers of the state to crush their enemies. Though a few shots were fired the American Marxist Revolutionaries have met relatively little resistance and they are more emboldened than they’ve ever been before.
After four years of the right laughing at libertarians there is a golden opportunity to be had. The establishment’s unfair treatment of Trump is fresh in their minds. They rightfully feel cheated by the treatment and the last election. Their businesses and livelihoods are under attack. 73 million people are being blacklisted, threatened, and radicalized through shame and ostracism. They are discussing secession, destroying institutions, and revolution out in the open.
Biden is siding with the authoritarian governors on lockdowns and mask mandates. It is time that the liberty-minded learn the lessons of successful radicals, and counter the left with their own pressures. As Trotsky advocated, the libertarians and the right populists mustn’t get caught up in the patriotism of obeying laws, but see the utility of disobeying and nullifying unjust laws. Much as MLK pointed to the violent Black Nationalists the Boogaloo movement and militia groups may be pointed to as they continue to March through cities armed in defiance of dictates. As churches, synagogues, parks, resorts, and businesses are ordered closed it is up to us to stand with these small businesses and institutions to nullify and defy anti-liberty edicts.
The left has allied with the establishment knowing that once the government is taken back from the populist right and corporations have successfully crushed Mom-&-Pop shops they will make their final moves to overtake the U.S. and ensure there is no more competition to their system of governance. The international communist movement will be in full effect. Libertarians and the right joining in full strength to combat increasing deficits that will certainly enslave future generations and defying totalitarian edicts in an effort to preserve liberty may be the last chance for Americans to stand against the state and tyranny without mass amounts of bloodshed. If libertarians continue the tactics that have made them a laughing-stock and refuse to import more radical methods to inject liberty into our cities, states, and country the battle is already lost.