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Showing posts from April, 2019

Why Is the Second International Defending Trotsky?

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Below is an English translation of a 1936 article written by Nadezhda Krupskaya, the wife of Vladimir Lenin and a fellow Bolshevik revolutionary figure. She served as the Soviet Union's Deputy Minister of Education from 1929 until her death in 1939. This article is a reflection on Lenin, Stalin, Trotskyites, the Second International, and building socialism. She always did have a lot of respect for Joseph Stalin and it shows in this written piece; but it is not the only highlight of the article nor is it the only talking point. She talks about the hard work and dedication that went into building the Soviet Republic as well, and the early stages of developing a post-Tsarist Russia which had previously been a backward society that was seriously lagging behind in terms of technology and industry. She also provides a great deal of criticism of the Second International and its defense of Trotsky.  Now of course, neither Krupskaya nor her husband (who also criticized Leon Trotsky a g

Afghanistan, the Forgotten Proxy War (excerpt)

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When it comes to war-torn Afghanistan and the role played by the United States and its NATO allies, what comes first to mind for most is the ‘War on Terror’ campaign launched in 2001 by George W. Bush almost immediately after the 9/11 attacks. And understandably so, considering that the United States and its allies established a direct “boots-on-the-ground” military presence in the country that year. Not only that, but during the Bush-Cheney years, there was an aggressive propaganda campaign being played out across U.S. media outlets which used women’s rights as one of the pretexts for the continued occupation. The irony of this, however, is not lost on those who understand that the conflict in Afghanistan has a long history which, much like Syria, stretches as far back as the Cold War era — especially when it was the United States that  provided support  for the Mujahideen in destabilizing the country and stripping away the modernizing, progressive economic and social gains, inclu