WIST Quotations

Trotsky, Leon -- “Stalin as a Theoretician” (Mar 1930)

Dave — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:54:54 +0000

Ignorance armed with power is just as dangerous as insanity armed with a razor.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
“Stalin as a Theoretician” (Mar 1930)

Full text.

Trotsky, Leon -- “Trotsky’s Testament,” (27 Feb 1940)

Dave — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:07:46 +0000

Natasha has just come up to the window from the courtyard and opened it wider so that the air may enter more freely into my room. I can see the bright green strip of grass beneath the wall, and the clear blue sky above the wall, and sunlight everywhere. Life is beautiful. Let the future generations cleanse it of all evil, oppression and violence, and enjoy it to the full.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
“Trotsky’s Testament,” (27 Feb 1940)

Full text.

Trotsky, Leon -- “We Do Not Change Our Course” (1938)

Dave — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:38:58 +0000

A sledgehammer breaks glass but forges steel.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
“We Do Not Change Our Course” (1938)

Trotsky, Leon -- Diary in Exile, 1935-04-05 (1958)

Dave — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:24:57 +0000

The depth and strength of a human character are defined by its moral reserves. People reveal themselves completely only when they are thrown out of the customary conditions of their life, for only then do they have to fall back on their reserves.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
Diary in Exile, 1935-04-05 (1958)
(Source)

Trotsky, Leon -- Our Political Tasks (1904)

Dave — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:06:29 +0000

In inner-party politics, these methods lead, as we shall yet see, to this: the party organization substitutes itself for the party, the Central Committee substitutes itself for the organization, and, finally, a “dictator” substitutes himself for the Central Committee.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
Our Political Tasks (1904)

Regarding Lenin's suggestion in What Is To Be Done? that workers would not revolt on their own and needed the party's trained revolutionaries to lead them.

Trotsky, Leon -- The Russian Revolution (1930)

Dave — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:51:44 +0000

There is a limit to the application of democratic methods. You can inquire of all the passengers as to what type of car they like to ride in, but it is impossible to question them as to whether to apply the brakes when the train is at full speed and accident threatens.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
The Russian Revolution (1930)

Trotsky, Leon -- Where Is Britain Going?, “The Question of Revolutionary Force” (1925)

Dave — Sun, 01 Feb 2004 16:00:00 +0000

Not believing in force is the same as not believing in gravitation

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
Where Is Britain Going?, “The Question of Revolutionary Force” (1925)

Alt. trans.: "A disbelief in violence is equivalent to a disbelief in gravitation."

Trotsky, Leon -- Diary, Notebook 2 (1935-05-08) [tr. Zarudnaya (1958)]

Dave — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:20:28 +0000

Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man.

Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) Russian politician, Marxist, intellectual, revolutionary [b. Lev Davidovich Bronstein]
Diary, Notebook 2 (1935-05-08) [tr. Zarudnaya (1958)]
(Source)