Communism is conflated with the history of the USSR and the crimes of the bureaucracy and Stalin. Those who disagree with the Marxists blame communism itself for this. In actual fact, Lenin himself recognised the emerging bureaucracy and fought against it. This talk will cover Lenin’s fight against bureaucracy and for a healthy regime in the party.

Watch

Reading list

Articles

Zinoviev and the Stalinist degeneration of the Comintern – John Peterson

Bureaucratism or workers power – Ted Grant and Roger Silverman

Workers’ democracy in the Russian Revolution –  Daniel Morley

Stalinism and Bolshevism –  Leon Trotsky

Books

Stalin – Leon Trotsky

In defence of Marxism – Leon Trotsky

The Revolution Betrayed – Leon Trotsky