The weird worlds of Trotskyism

There are times I wonder what planet some of the comrades on the far-left live on. Take this comment from the latest issue of the (rather tedious) newspaper, The Socialist. Writing about their annual bash Socialism 2014 they enthusiastically tell us that:

One of the most anticipated speakers will be Seattle Socialist councillor, Kshama Sawant. Kshama is a member of Socialist Alternative, co-thinkers of the Socialist Party in the US. Her election with nearly 100,000 votes has sent shock waves across the world.

Didn't notice? Not even those of you at the back. I am surprised. Rocked the world it did. Not.

The election of one Socialist Party councillor in the USA does not shake the world any more than the election of one TUSC councillor did in the UK. Frankly nobody noticed the outcome of the result in Southampton or wherever because even the candidate himself did not actually stand as a TUSC candidate, but appeared on the ballot paper as an independent.

More amusing (if you can call it that) was over at the Pabloite website Tendance Coatsey where we are taken down memory lane with an article about Juan Posadas, Dolphins and UFOs.

Writing about some programme on BBC 4 about a "girl who talks to dolphins", the ever entertaining Andrew Coates comments:

Trotskyism was also at the forefront of this great leap forward in interspecies communication.

Juan R Posadas, the Argentinian Trotskyist is best known for his pioneering theories on UFOs and the probable existence of higher, communist, civilisations on other planets. He rightly observed that, “These beings from other planets come to observe life down here and laugh at humans, we who fight each other over who has the most cannons, cars and wealth.”

More to the point Posadas himself appealed for solidarity from UFOs with the class struggle:

We must appeal to the beings on other planets, when they come here, to intervene and collaborate with Earth’s inhabitants in suppressing poverty. We must make this call to them. It is possible to make ourselves understood to them. We must not, of course, expect that they will understand immediately. But we must make appeals to them, if we believe that they can, indeed, exist. If we have any possibility of making contact with them, we must not fall into individual scientific curiosity, out of some desire to see where they come from and to visit other planets.

We must unite with them, they who seem more powerful than human beings, such that they will come and help us resolve Earth’s problems. Then we can concern ourselves with going to see what other planets are like, how life and matter are organised, and everything regarding nature. But most important is first to resolve the problems of humanity on Earth. We do not have a fantasist or idealist position with regard to flying saucers. As we accept that they exist, we want to use all means at hand, including those from outside of this planet. When we seriously reach a scientific discovery, we must try to use it to the benefit of humanity.

Read the full article here, but entirely at your own risk.

It wasn't the only madness that this man espoused.  The Fortean Times reminds us Posadas was also famous for this:

“Nuclear war [equals] revolutionary war. It will damage humanity but it will not – it cannot – destroy the level of consciousness reached by it… Humanity will pass quickly through a nuclear war into a new human society – Socialism.” 7 Posadas predicted that atomic war was “the supreme opportunity for the forces of the world revolution”, which would come swiftly. “After the destruction commences, the masses are going to emerge in all countries – in a short time, in a few hours.”.......

As time wore on, Posadist nuclear war doctrine became more impatient, demanding of the Soviets and Chinese that they hurry up and annihilate capitalism with a pre-emptive first strike right now. “Preventative war” was a doctrine briefly discussed in the Soviet Union in the 1970s, but never with such urgent enthusiasm as by Posadas. China “should launch the war now… they call upon the masses of the world to take power now”, he declared in the European Marxist Review of 1968. He saw Soviet preparation for war as being “accompanied for support for the revolution. Thus, every button they press is part of the progress of history.”

Posadas also held the delusional view that his nuclear war doctrine had been adopted by China, declaring that: “If this intervention by fraternal solidarity unleashed war from the side of imperialism, imperialism will perish… these are our conclusions, which the Chinese also draw.” 10 By 1970, Posadists believed of China’s nuclear war strategy that “Until six months ago, the Chinese totally ignored this question. Today, they put this conclusion at the centre of their analysis, taking complete phrases from the articles of Posadas.” 

Although Posadas is no longer with us, there remain some of his disciples around. (see here)

In comparison most other Trotskyist groups are relatively sane. 

But not that much.