boboblaw [he/him, they/them]

and even Leninist

Is this a thing? Are any groups of people calling themselves simply Leninists? Or did Lenin himself name some theory after himself?

given how much Stalin deviated from both

Thats just like your opinion man. Or do you want to bring charges against the heretics?

Trotsky was more ideologically aligned with the second name on that ideology

That’s a take, sure.

Stalin can proclaim himself the new master of Marxism and the heir of Lenin

This is a bizarre conflation. Are you talking about intellectual/theoretic successors or are you talking about a hereditary title? Usually claims of intellectual succession aren’t resolved through force of arms. And surely, it’s far too late to decide the question of the succession of leadership of the U.S.S.R anyway?

I guess we’re operating from different starting assumptions. If you think there can be a “pure” Marxism or Marx’s theory is definitive, complete, or perfect, then I see how you could take issue with any modifications or additions to it.

If the demarcation of Marxism is to be so rigid, a theory more akin to a dogma, then I see how such disagreements might arise.

Unfortunately I don’t think this kind of model, emblematic of organized religion, is how the vast majority of self-professed Marxist-Leninists conceive of it. So the line of thought which seems to run along parallel lines to religious theology is going to be ineffective.

The possibilities of Marx’s purity or perfection of theory as put forth are hilariously ironic but I don’t think they’re serious, given how well known is for opposing idealism and organized religion in particular. I also think it might already have a cheeky name that echoes Christianity – Orthodox Marxism.

And the Lord said onto them, “he who lives by the snark shall perish by the snark”.

That was not my question. Please re-read it or I might suspect you’re being intentionally obtuse. My question is if the issue is specifically with the “Marxist” in “Marxist-Leninist” or with the term as a whole.

Vast majority of people calling themselves Marxists, especially online, are actually Stalinists, and they hate Trotsky.

I’m still low key baffled by this argument and the continued popularity of the term “Stalinist”. Like what exactly is the issue with the name? Are self-professed MLs not really Marxist? Or are there self-professed MLs that are not “Stalinist” and you think they have the more legitimate claim to the name?

If the venn diagram between self-professed Marxist-Leninists and “Stalinists” is a circle, then the argument is ultimately pedantic. And if the aim is truly this kind of quibbling, who is the target audience? I don’t think it would be revelatory for someone educated in the former socialist bloc to hear that the term was coined by Stalin. For someone educated in the U.S. it would surely reaffirm what they’d been taught in school at best, and at worst cynically exploit the vibes they’d gotten in lieu of an education to cast aspersions on…who? the U.S.S.R which doesn’t exist anymore?

Idk, either there’s some real substance to this kind of argument that has eluded me thus far…or it’s utterly absurd in this, the year of our Lord two thousand twenty six.

EDIT: Also, why doesn’t this happen with Maoists? There aren’t nearly enough people constantly reminding them and everyone in the vicinity that Mao didn’t coin Maoism. This feels completely one sided.