Shachtmanism

Shachtmanism is a hybrid political ideology that mixes (in varying ratios) Trotskyism and Social Democracy. The originators of Shachtmanism include Max Shachtman, Tony Cliff, C. L. R. James, James Abern, and numerous others.

Shachtmanites believe that the Stalinist rulers of Communist countries are a "new (ruling) class", completely distinct from the workers. Therefore, they go beyond Trotsky's description of Stalinist Russia as being a "degenerated workers' state"; Max Shachtman described the USSR as a "bureaucratic collectivist" society, while Tony Cliff (and Ted Grant before him) called it "state capitalism".

Left Shachtmanites consider Communist nations to be as bad as imperialist nations (often calling Soviet aggression "imperialist"); the more right-wing, social democratic Shachtmanites (including Shachtman and SDUSA) consider Communist nations to be worse than Western capitalism, usually siding with the US government in international conflicts. In America, Shachtmanite groups include the ISO, the International Socialist wing of Solidarity, and (most notoriously) Social Democrats USA. In Australia and the UK, the Workers' Liberty groupings are sometimes called Shachtmanite organizations, although they would question that description.