'We are the real communists... !'

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Trotsky on Stalinism The classic Marxist of Stalinism is Leon Trotsky's 'Revolution Betrayed: What is the Soviet Union and Where It Going?' Available via Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8: £2.50 plus 50p postage. should start immediately by eliminating all barriers separating the two Germanies. The country must be unified by secret, general and free elections and a workers' victory must be won in these elections."' According to the Times correspondent, the demonstrators shouted also that 'we are not only against the norm '50 armed Russian soldiers tried to stop their advance but they had to yield and to lower their guns which had been raised to firing position. The women demonstrators cheered them, kissed them and showered them with flowers as though they were a victorious army returning from the wars."

The demonstrations were conspicuous for the prominent role of women workers - and the scale of popular support. As they proceeded, marchers raised again demands for a general strike, and pelted pro-government gangs of 'Communist Youth' with mud. Rail and transport workers swelled the march as it went along.

Once again the march congregated outside the government building, where it was attacked by squads of Vopos with drawn truncheons. The Times correspondent tells us:

•The demonstrators gave way, reassembled, then gave way again. Truncheons pue The fear struck into the hearts of the Vopos was indicated by the fact that literally hundreds fled in fear of their lives, abandoning uniforms and insignia, and taking refuge in the West. There is no doubt at all that without the massive military intervention of the Soviet armed forces, the East German bureaucracy would have been unable to contain the movement. The mood of the workers was summed up by the Times correspondent.

"It was the stuff revolutions are made of. The demonstrators forsook all notion of danger, and flung themselves unarmed against tanks... some of those who were on the streets on Wednesday must now no doubt be wondering at their boldness."

Sitting astride such a powder keg was no easy position for the East German bureaucracy. They had to move swiftly to defuse the immediate build-up of militancy, while preparing a through, declare on June 30 that 'the right to strike is constitutionally guaranteed. Members of strike committees will not be punished for their activities as strike leaders" • A week later, after mass arrests of strike leaders, Fechner himself was dismissed and expelled from the party for his expression of "liberalism"!

By September; a regrouped East German leadership was calling for a strengthening of the secret police. Far from there being any trust within Ulbricht's "family", the Stalinist leaders had good reason to fear many of their own - and most experienced members. Over one third of the party members purged as a result of the rising proved to have been Communist Party members since before Hitler's rise to power in 1933!

For Trotskyists this open conflict between the most class conscious elements of the working class and the Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union and its stooge regimes is no surprise.

Trotsky had argued from the mid 1930s that the only means to restore workers' democracy in the Soviet Union and create conditions for serious planned workers' democracy; there har been no "healthy" revolution: in these countries.

The task was to overtun the Stalinist bureaucracies an‹ establish genuine workers power through workers' council: - which would of course defen‹ and build upon the nationaliser property relations establisher under Stalinist rule.

A Class Fighter The Bomb and how tc i get rid of it - a new pamiuass rignier, 414, siun-r Dinktra ›14 Girl_ ert Court, London NI

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Socialist Organiser no. 136 June 16 1983 Page 12 GETTING organised means joining together. with those who have been active in the election campaign, and doubling our forces for the fight ahead.

Many groups are planning 'After the election, Agenda where next?' meetings. Here are the details of the meetings that are definite. If your area isn't mention-

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