http://platypus1917.org/2009/11/18/the-decline-of-the-left-in-the-20th-century-1933/ What has the Left been, and what can it yet become? Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:25:19 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 http://platypus1917.org/2009/11/18/the-decline-of-the-left-in-the-20th-century-1933/comment-page-1/#comment-262 The Platypus Synthesis: History, theory : Platypus Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:51:23 +0000 http://platypus1917.org/?p=2830#comment-262 [...] Richard, in his comments at our panel on “The Decline of the Left in the 20th Century” Friday night, spoke of how Trotsky and Benjamin provide the “hidden” or esoteric history of the 20th Century, by contrast with its “real” history, exemplified by FDR and Hitler.  Our present world is more obviously descended from the history of Hitler and FDR, who in this sense made the world what it is today, as the effect of their actions.  But how might we (come to) be descended also from Benjamin and Trotsky?  Can we claim their history as ours, or are we condemned to being only the products of the history of Hitler, FDR and Stalin (and those who followed them)? [...] [...] Richard, in his comments at our panel on “The Decline of the Left in the 20th Century” Friday night, spoke of how Trotsky and Benjamin provide the “hidden” or esoteric history of the 20th Century, by contrast with its “real” history, exemplified by FDR and Hitler.  Our present world is more obviously descended from the history of Hitler and FDR, who in this sense made the world what it is today, as the effect of their actions.  But how might we (come to) be descended also from Benjamin and Trotsky?  Can we claim their history as ours, or are we condemned to being only the products of the history of Hitler, FDR and Stalin (and those who followed them)? [...]

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