Socialist Vocabulary

[Heikki Toivonen]

from this site:
reds.linefeed.org/vocab.html#DE



AFRO-COMMUNISM: Term often used to describe Anti-Revisionist regimes that ruled many sections of Africa during the 1970’s and 1980’s — most notably Ethiopia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and numerous other nations. Afro-Communism often focuses on anti-colonialism and seeks to nationalize white-owned plantations in their countries. However, Afro-Communism is usually highly dictatorial and violent.

ANARCHISM: Political ideology that emphasizes the belief that all forms of government are evil. It is the feeling of most Anarchists that all governments should be eradicated immediately. The father of modern individualist anarchism was philosopher Pierre Joseph Proudhon. The founder of violent, revolutionary anarchism is Russian philosopher Mikhail Bakunin. Two forms of socialist anarchism are Anarcho-Syndicalism and Anarcho-Communism. Anarcho-Syndicalists believe that militant trade unions will bring about the overthrow of government. This type of anarchist played a pivotal role in Spanish Civil War. Anarcho-Communists feel that the reason the ideals of Communism have yet to be achieved is because governments were involved. The leading figure of the Anarcho-Communist ideology is Piotr Kropotkin. Eco-Anarchism (a.k.a. "Bookchinism") is based on the ideas of Murray Bookchin. Eco-Anarchism believes that the destruction of the environment is a biproduct of human domination. Anarcho-Feminists believe the complete overthrow of the current system is necessary to end male domination. Anarchists have recently played a large role in the protests against the World Trade Organization in Seattle and the World Bank/IMF protests in Washington D.C. An Anarchist hotspot in the US is Eugene, Oregon. While there are many small groups of Anarchists in America, the largest is perhaps the Anarcho-Syndicalist union Industrial Workers of the World. Recently-popularized Anarchist organizations include the Anti-Capitalist Convergence and the Black Bloc (an older organization than ACC).

ANTI-REVISIONISM: Also known as Hoxhaism, Kimism, and Kim Il Sungism; a form of extremely totalitarian ideology based on hardline Maoism or Stalinism. It is based on the theories of Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), the former ruler of North Korea, and Enver Hoxha (1908-1985), Stalinist dictator of Albania, as well as the ideas of Mao Zedong during the Sino-Soviet split, when he accused Khrushchev of "Trotskyism" for his attempts at "de-Stalinization." Much like traditional Stalinism, Anti-Revisionism shifts from ultra-left ("Third Period") to center-left ("Popular Front," militarism, nationalism, etc.); but no matter what political line is being advocated, Anti-Revisionists are always highly dictatorial or totalitarian. Anti-revisionists classified Khrushchev’s Russia as "state capitalist" or "social imperialist" (ironically, a term often used by Shachtmanites to describe Stalinists and Kimists!). If it's possible, the government sought by Kimism is even more totalitarian than that of Stalinism. In Kim Il Sungist North Korea, isolation is so important that even if Korean people desparately need outside help, the government makes sure that they do not receive it. Anti-Revisionist parties abound in the world, though they are almost always tiny sectarian groups. Kimist parties include the North Korean Communist Party and the late Labor Party of Albania. Probably the most successful Western Hoxhaist party is the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada. In America, Anti-Revisionist parties include the Progressive Labor Party, US Marxist-Leninist Organization, the late Marxist-Leninist Party USA, and currents in the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

BOLSHEVISM: See Leninism.

BOOKCHINISM: Hybrid political theory, a combination of environmentalism, unorthodox Marxism, and Anarchism, which was developed upon by Murray Bookchin, a former Communist and New Left activist. Bookchinites believe in "dialectal naturalism", a deviation of dialectal materialism which combines Marx’s ideas on societal evolution with the natural world. Bookchinites and other Eco-Socialists believe that the capitalist economy is responsible for the destruction to the environment. The world ecosystem can only be saved once world socialism (a more sane and humane system) is established. In the US, the Left Green Network (est. 1988, now moribund) follows the ideology of Bookchin.

CAPITALISM: The current economic system of the United States and much of the world. Capitalism operates according to supply and demand, as well as the drive for greed and profit. But this drive for profit can cause capitalists to disregard the safety of workers and the environment. Further, by using supply and demand to his advantage, a capitalist can reduce the supply of a product (even if it’s an urgent need) and become rich from taking advantage of people’s needs. Because capitalism only succeeds in making a small part of society rich and just ends up making most poor, socialists (and most leftists, for that matter) wish to overthrow capitalism and establish a more humane economic system. (see Marxism.)

[Heikki Toivonen]

CASTROISM: An ideology of national liberation and revolution based on a synthesis of Leninism and Populism. Castroism is based on the ideas and Marxist theories engineered by Che Guevara and Raúl and Fidel Castro, leaders of the Cuban Revolution. Like all Leninists, Castroists believe that the bourgeois capitalist state must be overthrown in order to create a socialist alternative. But instead of leading the masses through a vanguard party (Lenin’s view), they believe in "focoism", a Populist-based theory that acts of guerilla warfare, restricted terrorism, and heroic actions taken by a small band of warriors against the establishment will inspire the masses to join them. Also referred to at times as "Guevaraism", followers of the ideology of Castroism believe in a strong centralized government that does not capitulate in any way to "liberal" capitalist reforms. While authoritarian in nature, Castroism does not resort to the totalitarian bureaucracy that is evident in Stalinism and Maoism. While not taking the anti-Stalinist stand which Leon Trotsky did, Castro did prevent Cuba from becoming Stalinist, as seen in Castro’s expulsion of Aníbal Escalante and his Stalinist faction from the Cuban government during the 1960’s. On the island of Grenada, Maurice Bishop, leader of the New JEWEL Movement and follower of a non-violent form of Castroism, succeeded in producing a bloodless coup on the island and overthrowing the British imperialists. In the US, the largest Castroist party today is the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). Almost every Communist and Socialist party in the United States (to a certain degree) respects the Cuban government.

CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM: Social Democratic philosophy which believes that the humanitarian messages of Christianity ("Love thy neighbor as thyself", etc.) point toward socialism. Christian Socialists seek to establish a sort of Heaven on Earth. Founded in 18th-century Britain, Christian Socialism spread throughout Europe. It formed large political parties, such as the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Democratic Party of Italy (now the Italian People's Party). The Christian Socialist Movement of Britain still has a strong movement within the British Labour Party. While never achieving these heights in America, Christian Socialism did have a reign in the US during the early 20th century known as the Social Gospel movement. Perhaps the most well known American Christian Socialist was Norman Matoon Thomas, a Presbyterian minister and six-time presidential candidate of the Socialist Party of America. Today, elements of Christian Socialism can be seen in the Religious Socialist Commission of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), as well as the Faith & Socialism Commission of the Socialist Party USA.

COMMUNISM: Over the years, the term "Communist" has gone through numerous changes. In the early years of its use, it was used to describe a strongly egalitarian society — similar to the Paris Commune — and was basically undistinguishable from either "Socialist" or "communitarian". However, after Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848, it came to be synonymous with Marxism. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, the word narrowed in meaning yet again, now meaning only parties supporting the ideas of Leninism. Further, after the rise of Joseph Stalin in the 1920’s and the subsequent purges of Communist parties all over the planet, the word narrowed still, now meaning only parties how followed the ideology of Stalinism. Today, this is generally regarded as its meaning, though the public tends to regard it as meaning crypto-Stalinist regimes like those in China and North Korea.

COUNCIL COMMUNISM: Form of Leninism; also referred to as "Luxemburgism". It is a theory developed upon by Rosa Luxemburg and other founders of the German Spartakus Bund, which would later become the German Communist Party. Council Communism holds onto most of the traditional views of Leninism, including the necessity of insurrection against the bourgeois capitalist state and world revolution. Where it breaks with traditional Leninism is on the issue of economic organization after the revolution. Leninism sought a centralized "dictatorship of the proletariat", but Council Communists sought a less-centralized alternative. They felt that each industry would be run by a workers’ council and this decentralized workers’ government would be managed by an executive council. Luxemburgism never was attempted in the real world, and its ideas were later shadowed by the battle between Stalinism and Trotskyism. However, most Trotskyist organizations at least give credit to the ideas of Rosa Luxemburg. These organizations include Solidarity and Socialist Action.

DELEONISM: Form of political thought engineered by American radical Daniel De Leon (1852-1914). De Leon combined the rising theories of Syndicalism in his time with orthodox Marxism. According to DeLeonist theory, militant trade unions are the vehicle of class struggle. Trade unions serving the interests of the "proletariat" (working class) will bring about the change needed to establish a socialist system. Today, two American groups claim to follow the ideas of DeLeon: the Socialist Labor Party and the New Union Party.

DEMOCRATIC MARXISM: See Democratic Socialism.

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM: The belief that the equality which socialism is designed to bring cannot be achieved without democracy. Unlike Social Democracy, Democratic Socialists are more Left-wing than centrist. Democratic Socialists are opposed to both Communism and capitalism, feeling that both systems have failed to emancipate the workers of the world from exploitation. During the Cold War, when the Social Democrats sided with the capitalist West and the Communists sided with the East, Democratic Socialists were pulled in the middle, because they saw both systems as evil in different ways. While the Soviet Union had political inequality, America had economic inequality. Perhaps the earliest large Democratic Socialist movement in America was the Socialist Party of America, which was founded in 1901 by Eugene V. Debs and his comrades. Today, perhaps the best-known American advocate of Democratic Socialism is Howard Zinn, columnist for The Progressive, author of A People’s History of the United States, and professor emiritus of Boston University. The largest Democratic Socialist groups are the Socialist Party USA and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). There are also Democratic Socialists within the Greens USA. Other world Democratic Socialist parties include the Socialist Party of the Netherlands, the German PDS, the Australian DSP, and the Japanese New Socialist Party.

EURO-COMMUNISM: See Reform Communism.

FEMINISM: Belief in the liberation of women in society to a social stature equal to that of men. Feminists over the years have called for equal pay for both genders, reproductive freedom for women, suffrage, lesbian rights, the right to run for political offices, and an end to the mentality that women are property. Socialist Feminists, who include Susan B. Anthony and Gloria Steinem, believe that the chief cause of femal oppression is the capitalist system. Anarcho-Feminists feel similarly, but are more open than other feminists to the continuation of female pornography, considering it a form of free speech. Most leftist groups promote feminism. Two far-left groups that put special attention on feminism are Solidarity and the Freedom Socialist Party. A more mainstream, liberal group is the National Organization of Women, which has many different currents of feminists within it.

GUILD SOCIALISM: Belief that, whenever socialism is controlled by the few within the government, it won't work. Instead, the means of production should be controlled by the workers in a guild format. These guilds would be democratically run and organized efficiently. During the early part of the twentieth century, Guild Socialism was quite prominent within the labor force of Britain. Perhaps the most well-known populizer at the time was G.D.H. Cole. In the twenties, however, Guild Socialism disappeared and was later replaced by the theories of the Labour Party. The ideas of Guild Socialism have recently been incorporated into Libertarian Socialism.

HOXHAISM: See Anti-Revisionism.

KHRUSHCHEVISM: See Reform Communism.

KIMISM: See Anti-Revisionism.

LEFT COMMUNISM: Puritanical and ultra-left ideology based on unyielding dogmatism and often (as a direct result) sectarianism. Left Communists are often characterized by incomprehendable writings, pointless polemics, unwillingness to compromise, and a lack of even trying to appeal to the masses. Vladimir Lenin saw Left Communism as as great a threat to revolutionary movements as reformism, evident in his famous work, Left-Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder (1920). One of the best-known Left Communist leaders (the subject of Lenin’s attack) was Italian Communist leader Amadeo Bordiga (1889 - 1970). Left-wing Communist groups rarely ever grow beyond a dozen or so members, and have never created a mass movement. For this reason, being called "ultra-left" or a "Left-wing Communist" by fellow leftists is usually an insult. Probably the largest Left Communist parties are the World Socialist Movement and the International Communist Current. There is also a Left Communist party in Russia, the Marxist Labour Party. In America, very, very tiny Left Communist groups exist, including the World Socialist Party (founded 1916) and Internationalist Notes. Left-wing Communism is very similar in some respects to DeLeonism.

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[Heikki Toivonen]

LEFT SOCIALISM: See Democratic Socialism.

LEFT-WING: The liberal and radical half of the political spectrum. Leftists include revolutionaries, Communists, Socialists, Anarchists, Unionists, and other radicals. All the parties described in this website are leftist. They are the polar opposite of members of the Right-wing. The custom of left and right originated in the French National Assembly in 19th century, when the presiding officer had members of radical parties seated to the left, conservatives to the right, and moderates in the center.

LENINISM: Form of Marxism created by Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and Leon Trotsky, leaders of the Bolsheviks and co-founders of the Soviet Union. Leninists believe in insurrectionary Marxism. They feel that the old capitalist government aparatus must be completely destroyed in order to create a new socialist state. This state is to be governed by the dictatorship of the proletariat (dictatorship of the working class). Leninists feel that there is a genuine urge for revolution in the working class, but without guidance from well-trained leaders, the proletariat’s drive for revolution will often lead to nothing. A Leninist vanguard party, led by the most educated and "advanced" of the working class, is necessary to give the working class’s revolutionary spirit direction. This is what occurred in October/November of 1917 in Russia, when the workers (led by the Bolsheviks) overthrew the capitalist Provisional Government of Alexander Kerensky. Leninists believe that, after a period of transition under the dictatorship of the proletariat, society will become classless and the dictatorial state will "whiter away," creating a very pure democracy. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Leninism split into two warring schools of thought — Trotskyism and Stalinism. Trotskyism was closer to the original intent of Lenin, while Stalinism sought to strengthen its hold on the dictatorship, creating a very totalitarian state. Today, few purely Leninist parties exist, though many Trotskyist ones come close.

LIBERTARIAN SOCIALISM: Type of moderate Anarchism. While traditional anarchists would believe in a revolutionary need for the overthrow of government and would shun the idea of participating in political parties, libertarian socialists feel that government can be overthrown in a less violent manner and that some political parties are productive. Most libertarian socialists would like to see the modes of production in a post-capitalist society organized in a manner similar to Guild Socialism. In America, the foremost theorist of Libertarian Socialism is well-known lingual scientist Noam Chomsky. Many punk rock bands, including Anti-Flag and Chumbawumba could be classified as libertarian socialist.

LUXEMBURGISM: See Council Communism.


MAOISM: Political theory that mixes orthodox Stalinism with Populism. Named after its originator, Chinese Communist Mao Zedong, the ideology relies on militant, insurrectionary and populist strategies in movement organizing (People’s Wars, Cultural Revolution, Peasant Uprising, etc). Once in power, however, Maoists tend to install a traditionally corrupt Stalinist regime — bureaucratic, totalitarian, militaristic, and dictatorial. Like Stalin, Mao’s China relied on Five-Year Plans, the best-known of which was "The Great Leap Forward". Maoists also believe that the world socialist revolution will begin in the "Third World" (the under-developed and developing sections of the world). Today, Maoist parties include the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the Communist Party of Peru, the Russian Maoist Party, and sections of the Chinese Communist Party. In America, the Revolutionary Communist Party, Maoist Internationalist Movement, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization are all Maoist.

[Heikki Toivonen]

MARXISM: Form of socialistic philosophy, economics, and sociology based on the ideas of Karl Marx and his associate, Frederich Engels. There are many ideas associated with Marxist thought, but the most important theory is that of the class struggle. Marxists believe that, as the modes of production in human society have changed, so have social relations between different groups of people. The earliest stage of societal evolution is the primative hunter-gatherer stage, where the modes of production are nearly non-existent, and people live very modestly. Then, with the advent of agriculture comes either a society based on feudalism or slavery, or both. In the feudalist stage, there are a number of classes, including the peasants, aristocracy, and royalty. Then, as nations become industrialized, comes the capitalist stage; this is the stage most countries have evolved to at this point. In a capitalist society, there are two main classes, the bourgeoisie (capitalist class) and the proletariat (working class). Because the proletariat owns no industry, they are forced to sell their labor to the capitalists. The capitalists are able to live off of the labor of the workers, and they give the workers only as much as they need to. Eventually, Marxists believe that the proletariat (the majority of the population) will gain class consciousness and realize the ludicrous situation they live in. They will take the means of production from the rich and form a classless, socialist society, where everyone works and benefits from their efforts. There are two general types of Marxist thought: insurrectionary Marxism (Leninism) and constitutional "reformism" (Democratic Socialism). Almost all leftists can give credit to the importance of Marxism in terms of its accurate and thoughtful examination of capitalist and post-capitalist societies.

PROGRESSIVISM: Belief in reforming government to rid it of bureaucracy and corruption, and to improve the quality of a society as a whole. Many Progressive reforms have been identified as socialistic over the years. The prime era for this movement, "The Progressive Era", occurred between 1900-1917. Well-known Progressives include Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Progressive-Party founder Robert M. La Follette. Senator La Follette was endorsed by the Socialist Party of America during his run for the presidency in 1924. Many left-wing Democrats today consider themselves progressives and belong to the House Progressive Caucus, founded by socialist congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Progressivism is very similar to Social Democratic movements, except Progressives tend to work with groups further to the left than Social Democrats usually do. In the United States, the Labor Party of America, the Vermont Progressive Party, and the Green Party are all Progressive.
POPULAR FRONT: Stalinist idea developed in the 1930/40's. After the idea of the "Third Period" (a period of capitalist crisis in which every non-Stalin leftist was labeled a "social fascist") proved an utter failure, Stalin's Comintern created the Popular Front. It is similar to the Trotskyist United Front, but instead of merely uniting with working-class parties, the Stalinists also work with the "liberal bourgeois." This brought much criticism from other groups, though it allowed the Stalinists to work with the upper-class Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, and allowed the Communist Party USA to support Franklin D. Roosevelt.

[Heikki Toivonen]

POPULISM: Based on the word populus (Latin for "People"), Populism is a political strategy based on a movement by and for the people. The Populists have traditionally supported an increase in the money supply, greater government regulation of business, and other changes they believed would help farmers and laborers. In addition, they called for many reforms to increase the political power of voters. The Populist movement grew to such a degree that a Populist Party in America was formed in 1891, and would later join with the Democratic Party. While Populism fell from influence in the 20th, many of its ideals were utilized by the Progressive Movement of 1901-1917. Over the years, a huge array of individuals from the political left and right attempt to gain support through a populist movement, including George Wallace, Al Gore, Pat Buchanan, and Ralph Nader. The chief short-coming of Populism is that it draws support and ideas from the middle class and farmers — not typically from the working class. Recently, "Eco-Populism" has become a strong movement on the left, supported by Ralph Nader and sections of the Green Party.

RED: Favorite color of much of the world’s leftist movements. It originates from the flag of the revolutionary Paris Commune of 1871. The red stood for all the blood which all the workers of the world had shed to serve their masters, and also served as a unifying color (regardless of race, all people have the same blood color). Marxists adopted the color early on and it became their trademark as Communist nations and parties appeared all over the world. Today, Communists and left Socialists both claim the color Red; Anarchists often use black (the "Black Bloc"); Social Democrats are given the color yellow; capitalists and imperialists are often labeled as "Whites"; and moderate Socialists are called "pinkos."

REFORM COMMUNISM: Based on the era of Khrushchev-era "revisionism" in the Soviet Union during the 1950’s and 1960’s. Also known as Khrushchevism, Euro-Communism, and Post-Stalinism. Reform Communists realize the problems which traditional Stalinism creates in terms of questions of democracy and dissent, and attempt to take a more Western approach to their political viewpoint. While staying more militant than Democratic Socialists, Reform Communists are willing to take part in democratic governments, follow a country"s constitution, and work in coalition governments with Socialists and Social Democrats. Examples of Reform Communist parties include the French Communist Party, Italian Communist Party, Japanese Communist Party, and the Communist Party of Britain. In America, Committees of Correspondence and (to a lesser extent) the Communist Party USA are also Reform Communist.

[Heikki Toivonen]

RIGHT-WING: The conservative and reactionary half of the political spectrum. Right-wingers include (in varying extremes) free-market capitalists, Nazis, religious theocrats, fascists, racists, nationalists, militarists, and certain Populists. Three of the largest conservative parties in the United States are the Republican Party, the Libertarian Party, and the Constitution Party. The custom of left and right originated in the French National Assembly in 19th century, when the presiding officer had members of radical parties seated to the left, conservatives to the right, and moderates in the center.

SHACHTMANISM: Hybrid political ideology that mixes (in varying ratios) Trotskyism and Social Democracy. The originators of Shachtmanism include Max Shachtman, Tony Cliff, CLR James, James Abern, and numerous others. Shachtmanites believe that the Stalinist rulers of Communist countries are a "new (ruling) class", completely distinct from the workers. Therefore, they go beyond Trotsky's description of Stalinist Russia as being a "degenerated workers' state"; Max Shachtman described the USSR as a "bureaucratic collectivist" society, while Tony Cliff (and Ted Grant before him) called it "state capitalism". Left Shachtmanites consider Communist nations to be as bad as imperialist nations (often calling Soviet aggression "imperialist"); the more right-wing, social democratic Shachtmanites (including Shachtman and SDUSA) consider Communist nations to be worse than Western capitalism, usually siding with the US government in international conflicts. In America, Shachtmanite groups include the ISO, the International Socialist wing of Solidarity, and (most notoriously) Social Democrats USA. In Australia and the UK, the Workers' Liberty groupings are the best-known Shachtmanite organizations.

SOCIAL DEMOCRACY: Much like the term Communism, Social Democracy has changed in meaning dramatically over the years. Originally, it referred to any form of Marxist organization, but after the Menshevik-Bolshevik split and the subsequent revolution in Russia, the term Social Democrat came to describe reformist socialists, similar to the modern-day term Democratic Socialist. Today, the term has gone through a further metamorphosis. It now is used to define the moderate left. Social Democrats tend to support only mild economic reforms and some nationalization, and prefer working in a center-left coalition over working with the far left. Few even acknowledge respect for Karl Marx, and they are vehemently opposed to any form of Leninism. Examples of Social Democratic parties include the British Labour Party (as well as the Israeli Labour Party), the German Social Democratic Party, and the moderate wing of the Canadian New Democratic Party. In America, the left wing of the Democratic Party (the "Progressive Caucus") could be considered Social Democratic. The international organization of Social Democracy is the Socialist International.

SOCIALISM: An economic system based on public ownership of the most major industries, universal healthcare and public education. Like Communism and Social Democracy, the term Socialism has gone through numerous changes. The term, originally used by Utopians who sought social justice in industrial societies, the term was later used by the followers of Karl Marx interchangeably with Communist and Social Democracy. But following many Socialists sided with their respective countries in World War I — and especially after the Russian Bolshevik Revolution of 1917-1919 — the worlds Socialist parties were seen as more reformist and moderate than Leninist and Communist parties. Today, Socialist politics cover a wide-range of views, from Democratic Socialism to Marxism to Social Democracy.

STALINISM: A degenerate form of Marxism-Leninism. While claiming to uphold the traditions of the ideologies, Stalinism institutes a vast bureaucratic hierarchy, stunt or destroy free speech and liberties, and completely centralizes the executive structure of the nation — usually around one demagogue. Socially, economically, and politically, Stalinism shifts chaotically from purist, ultra-leftism (violent collectivization of farms and other property, purging of non-Stalin leftists, the "Third Period", etc.) to reactionary conservatism (militarism, patriotism, anti-Semitism, the Popular Front, and strong persecution of civil dissent). Stalinism is one of the two main forms of Leninism (the other being Trotskyism). Economically, Stalinism relied on Five-Year Plans, a highly centralized and collectivist strategy of production planning. Politically, Stalinism practiced nationalism, believing in "Socialism in one country" (as opposed to Trotsky’s world Permanent Revolution). Strong Stalinist governmental policies were the norm in the USSR from 1923 until 1954, when Nikita Khrushchev began attempts to "de-Stalinize" Russia — causing a split with Maoist China. After Stalin was criticized by Khrushchev, many Stalinists changed their labels; these new lables included Maoist, Hoxhaist, Kimist, or simply Marxist-Leninist. Many Marxists of the world’s Left blame Stalinism for beginning the chain of events which eventually led to the destruction of the Soviet Union. Today, Stalinist political parties include the Russian Communist Party, the British Socialist Labour Party, and the Belgian Labour Party are all Stalinist. In America, the Communist Party USA, the Workers World Party, and the League of Revolutionaries for a New America all have Stalinist currents within them.

SYNDICALISM: Form of decentralized leftism that puts strong emphasis on revolutionary unionist movements. Believing that the unions will be the vehicles of any workers’ revolution, syndicalists often pay little attention to forming political parties and often devote themselves to unionism instead. The main problem with syndicalism over the years is that it tends to be too purist in its ideology. They also tend to be too decentralized and poorly planned, allowing government forces to easily break them up. In America, the main syndicalist organizations have been the Industrial Workers of the World and the Socialist Labor Party. See also: DeLeonism.

TITOISM: Form of Leninism based on the regime of Marshal Tito (1892-1980), the late Communist leader of post-World War II Yugoslavia. While a Communist nation, Tito demanded that his country remain independent of both the capitalist organization NATO and the Stalinist Warsaw Pact. Tito’s Yugoslavia called for "national unity" and "self-management", giving them strong independence during the Cold War and a strong sense of Pan-Balkanism. Thanks to Tito, Yugoslavia became probably the most humane and most autonomous government in Eastern Europe. However, Tito failed to make a complete split with Stalinism the way some Trotskyists had hoped. Titoism's support for national unity did serve a purpose for the socio-politically unstable climate of the Balkans. This can be seen by the fact that shortly after the end of the Titoist government, Yugoslavia began to break up in ethnic and civil wars.

TROTSKYISM: One of the two main branches of Leninism; developed upon by Leon Trotsky, co-leader of the Russian Revolution and founder of the Red Army. Trotskyists oppose strongly Stalinism and its related ideologies. Trotskyists believe in a theory known as Permanent Revolution. Permanent Revolution contains a number of theories. One of these planks is the belief that a socialist revolution can occur in a backward, even feudalist country, by moving from the capitalist-democratic stage to the socialist one. Trotsky also believed that Lenin's pre-1917 idea of the "democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry" needed to be re-worded to emphasize the importance of the proletariat's leadership in such an alliance, because the peasantry were dialectically less capable of leadership. Also, in order to finish a socialist revolution, the revolution would have to be world-wide. This is in sharp contrast to Stalin's idea of "socialism in one country"; Trotsky felt (correctly so) that if a socialist nation-state was isolated, it would soon be destroyed by outside imperialist forces. Trotsky emphasized the importance of soviets (independent councils of workers) and the idea that a communist society will be a "workers' democracy." After Stalin took power and his caste executed his opponents, Trotsky classified the Soviet Union as a "degenerated workers state" and the Soviet Communist Party as "bureaucratic centralist." The Soviet degenerated workers state was more progressive than Western capitalism and therefore worthy of defense against American imperialism; however, another revolution of the workers was necessary to unseat the Stalinist bureaucracy, who would continue to destroy the workers state until it became fully capitalist. Today, the largest world Trotskyist organization is the Fourth International (USFI). For many decades, the chief Trotskyist group in the US was the Socialist Workers Party. But between 1979-1983, the SWP abandoned Trotskyism for Castroism and most of the Trotskyists were expelled. Today, two of the largest Trotskyist organizations are Solidarity and the Freedom Socialist Party. Considering the destruction of the USSR and the downfall of much of the Communist world, Trotsky's prophecies seem to have been proven by history.

UNITED FRONT: Idea advocated by Leon Trotsky during the 1930's. In order to combat the rising tide of Nazism and fascism, Trotsky advocated an alliance of working-class parties (social democratic, Stalinist, and Trotskyist) in order to defend the working class from these attacks. However, due to many problems (most notably the Trotskyists being labeled as "social fascists" by the Stalinists during their program of the "Third Period"), the United Front was not successful in stopping the rise of fascism in Western Europe