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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The bankruptcy of terrorism, January 31, 2003
This review is from: Marxism and Terrorism (Paperback)
... This collection of essays by one of the leading revolutionaries of the 20th century provides a much-needed critical perspective on terrorism. Not from a moralizing point of view, but to show that by relying on individual heroic acts of violence like assassinations of government leaders, terrorist tactics ignore and devalue the masses of people as the most important agent of their own liberation. Though his examples are drawn from Hapsburg Austria, Tsarist Russia and Nazi Germany, when you read his words, you can easily see the relevance to liberation struggles taking place today from Palestine to Ireland to the Philippines. I especially like the way that Trotsky sympathizes with the hatred of the gross injustice that breeds terrorism, but at the same time explains that individual terrorist tactics are doomed to fail.
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5 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to fight oppression and dictatorship, February 13, 2003
This review is from: Marxism and Terrorism (Paperback)
This collection of articles by Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky is an important contribution to the discussion on how to fight against an inhumane and brutal ruling order. It discusses the social roots of terrorism, and argues strongly that it is an obstacle to developing the organized leadership necessary for millions of toilers to take destiny in their own hands and transform society for the good of all humanity. Trotsky bases his observations on the long history of terror in Czarist Russia, and counterposes it to the successful mass revolutionary struggle led by the Bolsheviks that did topple the Czarist regime, established a workers and peasants government and overthrow capitalism. This pamphlet also includes two articles from the 1930s. One explains why Trotsky and other revolutionary opponents of the Stalinist dictatorship that developed in the Soviet Union did not resort to terror. Another discusses Herschel Grynszpan, a Jewish youth who assassinated a Nazi official in Paris in 1938. Trotsky identifies with the emotions that led to Grynzspans act and calls for workers protests to stop the French government from executing him. But he argues to all those capable of self-sacrifice in the struggle against despotism and bestiality: Seek another road! Not the lone revolutionary avenger but only a great revolutionary mass movement can free the oppressed. Other valuable writings by Trotsky on this question include: How the Workers in Austria Should Fight Hitler, Individual Terror and Mass Terror, and A Revolutionary, not a Terrorist all from Writings of Leon Trotsky, 1935-36. See also, Their Morals and Ours and History of the Russian Revolution, by Trotsky, and The Changing Face of U.S. Politics, by Jack Barnes.
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12 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Terrorist Of The World:Yankee Empire, September 17, 2001
This review is from: Marxism and Terrorism (Paperback)
In this pamphlet Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky explains that the real sources of terror and violence in the world are the superrich and their governments : the market system and the police and military violence that back it up at home and overseas.When we go on strike or demonstrate for our rights,they [ will ] call the working people and youth "terrorists".Sound like the future? We will need to mobilize in our masses and eventually take action to defend ourselves including against fascist terror.Those who engage in frustrated acts of terror on behalf or workers and farmers or the oppressed anywhere ( NOT !) only give the capitalists an excuse to use more violence (e.g.WTC bombing->war in Mideast).To end all terror and violence requires a revolution to overthrow the system , he contends.Must reading in these days...
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