Talk:Trotskyism

Derogatory term

Beyond My Ken has twice replaced the word "Trotskyist" with "Trotskyite", and has asked for evidence for my assertion that this is a term of disparagement. In the first place, in the very paragraph in which he made this change we can read - attributed to Collins Dictionary - that "A Trotskyist may be called a "Trotskyite" or "Trot", especially by a critic of Trotskyism". Beyond this, there are many sources for this assertion. Notably, a letter in The Nation (August 31 - 7 September 2015) describes the term as "derogatory" and a "slur", and goes on to state that "The difference between “Trotskyite” and “Trotskyist” is a bit like the difference between the “N-word” and “black” or “African-American.” As I recall, the pejorative “Trotskyite” was coined by Stalinists, casting Left Opposition followers of Trotsky as anti-Soviet fifth columnists and/or fascist agents. The slur “Trotskyite” is thus a sort of etymological character assassination of the man and his supporters. The word “Trotskyist,” on the other hand, is a neutral term that merely refers to an adherent of Leon Trotsky. It does not deride or endorse those it refers to and/or Trotsky’s theory of permanent revolution, etc."

Wiktionary defines Trotskyist as "A supporter of Trotskyism" and Trotskyite as "(derogatory) An advocate of the communist doctrines of Leon Trotsky". A review of Mary McCarthy's The Group comments that "Oddly, McCarthy, whose sympathies also ran in that direction, insists on using the derogatory term “Trotskyite” rather than “Trotskyist” throughout the chapter". review of Rossana Rossanda's notes that "the derogatory Stalinist epithet ‘Trotskyite’ is used throughout the text ... and not just where it might be appropriate - in other words, where a Soviet or other orthodox communist is accusing some heretic, whether rightly or wrongly, of Trotskyism." Sociologist Jeff Weintraub writes "Historically, comrades, the correct term is "Trotskyist." "Trotskyite" was a derogatory slur, with conspiratorial overtones, used only by Stalinists and their fellow-traveling dupes--more or less the way Republicans in the US like to talk about the "Democrat Party" instead of the "Democratic Party"."

It is also worth noting that a Google search for "Trotskyite" produces 190,000 results, while one for "Trotskyist" produces 13,400,000. In these circumstances, there needs to be a compellingly good reason to replace the commonly used neutral term with the much less common form widely regarded as derogatory. Since none has been provided, I will restore the original term. RolandR (talk) 22:39, 19 June 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for this overwhelming evidence of your position. You are clearly correct, and I completely concede the point. Beyond My Ken (talk) 03:29, 20 June 2023 (UTC)