Ronald Segal (1932–2008)

I became interested in Trotsky when I heard that at one time George Orwell considered himself a Trotskyite. Besides the Revolution of the Proletariates in the streets, the hard fall of Tsarism, and Plekhanov's impressive mustache, I found the most enjoyable passages to be those relating the murder of Rasputin. At the beginning these young Marxist revolutionaries had a promising future ahead of them. Turns out Tsarism wasn't so bad. Trotsky was known as The Pen. It was his words which achieved so much success along with the firm, unsympathetic fist of Lenin. Trotsky was wise enough to not become polarized into a Bolshevik or Menshevik. He suffered for his wisdom. Due to strokes, Lenin receded in power. A surprise to everyone, Stalin takes power. Trotsky's error lay in not taking Stalin seriously enough. The Iron Curtain fell shortly after and everyone's, including Trotsky's, life was in immediate danger. He would come to have no home--no country would give him one. He ended up in Mexico where he was assasinated by a henchmen of Stalin's. Everyone saw what became of Communism, and it disinterested a great many. What we can take from Trotsky is the call for perpetual revolution. America's forefathers knew the dangers of government, and they warned us of it. So did Trotsky, in many ways. Let the power be handed back to the people. Let us return to the Constitution and rid ourselves of our socialist overlords while what we were--though not perfect--is fresh in our minds.… (mehr)