Leon Trotsky: Letter to Albert Goldman [Writings of Leon Trotsky, Vol 12, 1939-1940, New York ²1973, p. 343, title: “How to Defend Ourselves”] Dear Friend: The Texas story is very important. The attitude of the people involved can become decisive from the legal point of view. We, of course, cannot imitate the Stalinists who proclaim their absolute devotion to the bourgeois democracy. However, we do not wish to furnish any pretext for persecutions. In this case, as in any others, we should speak the truth as it is; namely, the best, the most economical and favorable method for the masses would be to achieve the transformation of this society by democratic means. The democracy is also necessary for the organization and education of the masses. That is why we are always ready to defend the democratic rights of the people by our own means. However, we know on the basis of tremendous historical experience that the Sixty Families will never permit the democratic realization of socialist principles. At a given moment the Sixty Families will inevitably overthrow, or try to overthrow, the democratic institutions and replace them by a reactionary dictatorship. This is what happened in Italy, in Germany, and in the last days in France — not to mention the lesser countries. We say in advance that we are ready to reject such an attempt with arms in hands, and crush the fascist dictatorship by a proletarian dictatorship. This position corresponds to the historical reality and is juridically unattackable. , Fraternally, L. Trotsky |
Leon Trotsky > 1940 >