The most striking development of the great depression of 1929 is a profound skepticism of the future of contemporary society among large sections of the American people.

The struggle for socialism is the struggle for proletarian (working class) democracy. Proletarian democracy is not the crown of socialism. Socialism is the result of proletarian democracy. To the degree that the proletariat mobilizes itself and the great masses of the people, the socialist revolution is advanced. The proletariat mobilizes itself as a self-acting force through its own committees, unions, parties, and other organizations.

An army is a miniature of the society which produces it.

The rich are only defeated when running for their lives.

I had a national and international reputation. I had written the history and articles. So I brought to the Trotskyist movement some international reputation.

When history is written as it ought to be written, it is the moderation and long patience of the masses at which men will wonder, not their ferocity.

I had formed a black movement, so I would speak for the Trotskyist movement and then walk about a hundred yards to where the black movement was speaking.