So I been trying to figure out where I land in communism and socialism. And I found that I agree with both Trotskyism and syndicalism. So is it possible for both of these ideologies be compatible?
How do you think it could be done? because syndicalism and parliamentarism/elections are two separate paths.
Syndicalism looks for an independent mass union movement to be ready for socioeconomic and political transformation through Industrial Unions.
Trotskyism basically looks to take control of the union movement and use it to take control of the State.
"I agree with both Trotskyism and syndicalism. So is it possible for both of these ideologies be compatible?"
I would say no. Although I am sure there are things to learn of trotskyism. And there have been some trotskyists who have evolved into libertarian socialists. See "Solidarity" who probably were the mail group to fully evolve and develop away from trotskyism to libertarian socialism and beyond. I highly recommend: https://libcom.org/article/solidarity-pamphlets and https://libcom.org/article/solidarity-journals-libcom
For a fast (yet very good) explanation of Solidarity's initial views of what libertarian socialism is, "As We See It": https://libcom.org/library/as-we-see-it-solidarity-group.
Trotsky and Cannon very early laid out their criticisms, which trotskyists still adhere to:
Leon Trotsky: "The Errors in Principle of Syndicalism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1931/unions/4-errors.htm
Leon Trotsky: "Communism and Syndicalism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1931/unions/3-commsyn.htm
I personally do not think the IWW is or has been anarcho-syndicalist or syndicalist, some do, and here are early 1930s American perspective on the IWW.
Jame Cannon: "American Syndicalism and Problems of Communism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1931/feb/syndic.htm
Well, Trotsky would not have agreed -- a few of his polemics were directed against syndicalism. A few were directed at Pierre Monatte, a revolutionary syndicalist who embraced Leninism for a while (he joined the French CP in 1923, expelled in 1924).
I fail to see how Trotskyism and Syndicalism can be combined. Trotsky advocated one-man management, syndicalism workers' control. Trotsky was in favour of the dictatorship of the party, syndicalism for workers' democracy. Trotsky sought party dominance over the unions, syndicalism union independence. The list is long.
Trotskyists generally think syndicalism is a stage on the way to Leninism, a somewhat backward ideology which is doomed. Most syndicalists who embraced Leninism ended up advocating ideas which they previously opposed.
Like everyone else, I would broadly tend to disagree, but also Trotskyism (especially) and syndicalism (maybe less so) are labels that have been used to describe a great deal of different things, so it's probably more helpful to describe exactly what you do and don't think is useful and go by that rather than by labels?
Some points:
1. When the Trotskyist movement emerged in the late 20's 30's it formed from splits and defections from mass Stalinist Communist Parties - so transmitted the "Stalinist" political culture in the CP's in many cases - so while supporting Trotsky's writings/theories in terms of their practice - had similarities in many ways with the CP's eg in the UK with Healy's SLL/WRP Socialist Labour League and less so with Tony Cliff's SWP (Socialist Workers Party)
2. As a result of the predominance of the CP's to the Left of the Social Democratic formations eg ALP in Australia, Labour Party in the UK - for some decades - there would be such as in Australia a "Stalinist Political Culture" within much of the Leftist milieu and even significant parts of the political establishment - eg at Anzac Day recently- you had an indigenous welcome - a cocktail of this Stalinist political culture/identity politics/militarism. If this Stalinist predominance had only occurred for a few years - this political culture/hegemony would probably not be so prevalent in certain countries. Also this cocktail of Stalinism and Identity politics is particularly rife in the University milieu heavily supported/endorsed by the Uni Admins and an area where the Trot groups "recruit" for their sects/micro parties. The Uni Admins and Agencies of the Capitalist agencies were taken by surprise by the student and worker upsurges of the long 1960's particularly with Paris May 1968 with the student upsurge acting as a detonator for a workers' upsurge with factory occupations, general strike etc. (There was also some important anti-Stalinist industrial organising going on in various industries eg the network "Socialism or Barbarism" at Renault Billancourt in Paris influencing and linking up with other industrial organising initiatives. So to head off a similar upsurge - the Uni Admins heavily encourage identity politics facilitated particularly by the Deep State/Corporate media such as getting behind heavily/manufacturing to some extent the so called women's movements as part of the CIA's Operation CHAOS to disrupt the New Left. The effect of this identity politics influence would be to sow divisions, cause navel gazing amongst student radicals and greatly increase divisions between student radicals and militant workers outside the leftist milieu. (1)
3. There is a big division in the so called Trotskyist movement - the orthodox which oppose identity politics and corporate unionism and are aligned with Trotsky's writings and the rest which claim to be from the Trot/Socialist tradition but have taken a rightward shift - heavily involved in acting as stooges of the corporate union bosses/covering up their integration into the corporate set up particularly at the top levels/ballot rigging etc and facilitating the neo liberal push and employer offensive. These rightwing Trot groups for purposes of recruitment of students and middle class elements - adopt aspects of identity politics into their parties meetings/rituals eg in Australia "indigenous welcomes".
4. From reports I've seen some in the IWA (International Workers Association) sections particularly in Spain - certainly seem to have absorbed this Stalinist/Trot group ways in terms of manipulative behaviour. This is also apparent with ASF No.2 in Australia from its beginnings in the early 1990's see discussion on Libcom.org "Towards An Australian Anarchist Federation". Also with the hijack of Jura Books in Sydney in 2013 by a cult and moves toward it since 2003 involving all manner of underhanded behaviour and duplicity, the coverup of the vandalism of an Anarcho Syndicalist Archive as a part of a campaign of provocations against the ASN (Anarcho Syndicalist Network) and its base at that time. The guru of this cult and heavily involved in this campaign- masquerades as an anarcho-syndicalist but heavily informed by this Stalinst political culture. (2)
So in a nut shell you do have a perverted merging "culturally" between many Trot groups and so called syndicalist groups in certain countries. The rightwing Trot groups obviously contradict Trotysk's writings/ideology in many respects However many in these groups would deny it and even be unaware of it - due to the ruse of history perhaps. However in terms of Trotsky's writings and early Trot groups/movements and classic syndicalist works and syndicalist movements in the early 20th Century- there are severe differences.
Notes
(1) See Gloria Steinem, the CIA and the Women's Movement on the internet
(2) See New Org in Sydney thread on Libcom.org
How do you think it could be…
How do you think it could be done? because syndicalism and parliamentarism/elections are two separate paths.
Syndicalism looks for an independent mass union movement to be ready for socioeconomic and political transformation through Industrial Unions.
Trotskyism basically looks to take control of the union movement and use it to take control of the State.
You can have Trotrskyists…
You can have Trotrskyists active in syndicalist unions, but they do have different conceptions of revolution and organisational ideas.
"I agree with both…
"I agree with both Trotskyism and syndicalism. So is it possible for both of these ideologies be compatible?"
I would say no. Although I am sure there are things to learn of trotskyism. And there have been some trotskyists who have evolved into libertarian socialists. See "Solidarity" who probably were the mail group to fully evolve and develop away from trotskyism to libertarian socialism and beyond. I highly recommend: https://libcom.org/article/solidarity-pamphlets and https://libcom.org/article/solidarity-journals-libcom
For a fast (yet very good) explanation of Solidarity's initial views of what libertarian socialism is, "As We See It": https://libcom.org/library/as-we-see-it-solidarity-group.
Trotsky and Cannon very early laid out their criticisms, which trotskyists still adhere to:
Leon Trotsky: "The Errors in Principle of Syndicalism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1931/unions/4-errors.htm
Leon Trotsky: "Communism and Syndicalism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1931/unions/3-commsyn.htm
I personally do not think the IWW is or has been anarcho-syndicalist or syndicalist, some do, and here are early 1930s American perspective on the IWW.
Jame Cannon: "American Syndicalism and Problems of Communism"
https://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1931/feb/syndic.htm
Well, Trotsky would not have…
Well, Trotsky would not have agreed -- a few of his polemics were directed against syndicalism. A few were directed at Pierre Monatte, a revolutionary syndicalist who embraced Leninism for a while (he joined the French CP in 1923, expelled in 1924).
I fail to see how Trotskyism and Syndicalism can be combined. Trotsky advocated one-man management, syndicalism workers' control. Trotsky was in favour of the dictatorship of the party, syndicalism for workers' democracy. Trotsky sought party dominance over the unions, syndicalism union independence. The list is long.
The Bureaucracy in Exile: Trotsky’s limited Anti-Stalinism
Trotskyists generally think syndicalism is a stage on the way to Leninism, a somewhat backward ideology which is doomed. Most syndicalists who embraced Leninism ended up advocating ideas which they previously opposed.
If you find both ideas…
If you find both ideas agreeable and potentially compatible, then I don’t think you understand either of these ideas.
Like everyone else, I would…
Like everyone else, I would broadly tend to disagree, but also Trotskyism (especially) and syndicalism (maybe less so) are labels that have been used to describe a great deal of different things, so it's probably more helpful to describe exactly what you do and don't think is useful and go by that rather than by labels?
Some points: 1. When the…
Some points:
1. When the Trotskyist movement emerged in the late 20's 30's it formed from splits and defections from mass Stalinist Communist Parties - so transmitted the "Stalinist" political culture in the CP's in many cases - so while supporting Trotsky's writings/theories in terms of their practice - had similarities in many ways with the CP's eg in the UK with Healy's SLL/WRP Socialist Labour League and less so with Tony Cliff's SWP (Socialist Workers Party)
2. As a result of the predominance of the CP's to the Left of the Social Democratic formations eg ALP in Australia, Labour Party in the UK - for some decades - there would be such as in Australia a "Stalinist Political Culture" within much of the Leftist milieu and even significant parts of the political establishment - eg at Anzac Day recently- you had an indigenous welcome - a cocktail of this Stalinist political culture/identity politics/militarism. If this Stalinist predominance had only occurred for a few years - this political culture/hegemony would probably not be so prevalent in certain countries. Also this cocktail of Stalinism and Identity politics is particularly rife in the University milieu heavily supported/endorsed by the Uni Admins and an area where the Trot groups "recruit" for their sects/micro parties. The Uni Admins and Agencies of the Capitalist agencies were taken by surprise by the student and worker upsurges of the long 1960's particularly with Paris May 1968 with the student upsurge acting as a detonator for a workers' upsurge with factory occupations, general strike etc. (There was also some important anti-Stalinist industrial organising going on in various industries eg the network "Socialism or Barbarism" at Renault Billancourt in Paris influencing and linking up with other industrial organising initiatives. So to head off a similar upsurge - the Uni Admins heavily encourage identity politics facilitated particularly by the Deep State/Corporate media such as getting behind heavily/manufacturing to some extent the so called women's movements as part of the CIA's Operation CHAOS to disrupt the New Left. The effect of this identity politics influence would be to sow divisions, cause navel gazing amongst student radicals and greatly increase divisions between student radicals and militant workers outside the leftist milieu. (1)
3. There is a big division in the so called Trotskyist movement - the orthodox which oppose identity politics and corporate unionism and are aligned with Trotsky's writings and the rest which claim to be from the Trot/Socialist tradition but have taken a rightward shift - heavily involved in acting as stooges of the corporate union bosses/covering up their integration into the corporate set up particularly at the top levels/ballot rigging etc and facilitating the neo liberal push and employer offensive. These rightwing Trot groups for purposes of recruitment of students and middle class elements - adopt aspects of identity politics into their parties meetings/rituals eg in Australia "indigenous welcomes".
4. From reports I've seen some in the IWA (International Workers Association) sections particularly in Spain - certainly seem to have absorbed this Stalinist/Trot group ways in terms of manipulative behaviour. This is also apparent with ASF No.2 in Australia from its beginnings in the early 1990's see discussion on Libcom.org "Towards An Australian Anarchist Federation". Also with the hijack of Jura Books in Sydney in 2013 by a cult and moves toward it since 2003 involving all manner of underhanded behaviour and duplicity, the coverup of the vandalism of an Anarcho Syndicalist Archive as a part of a campaign of provocations against the ASN (Anarcho Syndicalist Network) and its base at that time. The guru of this cult and heavily involved in this campaign- masquerades as an anarcho-syndicalist but heavily informed by this Stalinst political culture. (2)
So in a nut shell you do have a perverted merging "culturally" between many Trot groups and so called syndicalist groups in certain countries. The rightwing Trot groups obviously contradict Trotysk's writings/ideology in many respects However many in these groups would deny it and even be unaware of it - due to the ruse of history perhaps. However in terms of Trotsky's writings and early Trot groups/movements and classic syndicalist works and syndicalist movements in the early 20th Century- there are severe differences.
Notes
(1) See Gloria Steinem, the CIA and the Women's Movement on the internet
(2) See New Org in Sydney thread on Libcom.org