22. New York¶
Core Argument¶
Chapter 22: New York¶
In New York, Trotsky lived and worked exclusively as a revolutionary socialist, writing articles, editing a newspaper, and addressing labour meetings. He studied US economic history in libraries, and the figures on American export growth during the war astounded him; they revealed not only why America would intervene in the war but also its decisive postwar global role. He lectured in Russian and German, never in English. He rented an apartment in a workers' district, furnished on instalment, with conveniences unknown in Europe. The janitor, a Black man, absconded with rent but hid Trotsky's money in their crockery box—an incident Trotsky saw as lifting a corner of the veil on the 'black' problem. He observed America preparing for war, pacifists ultimately supporting it, and food riots by mothers in the wealthiest city. He met Bukharin, who became a close associate until 1923. He judged the American Socialist Party leaders as philistine Babbitts, with Hillquit their archetype and Debs a sincere but romantic exception. Trotsky joined the Novy Mir editorial board, leading revolutionary propaganda. When the February Revolution broke out, he predicted the proletariat would take power, which was dismissed by established socialists but electrified working-class meetings. His son, recovering from diphtheria, danced on his bed at the news. They prepared to leave immediately.
Upon his wife and older son's arrival at the station an hour later, they were greeted gaily. Seryozha, his face red from playing checkers with policemen, chewed black American cud with his new friends to hide his embarrassment over the official attention. He still remembers the New York apartment telephone number.
It would be a gross exaggeration to claim Trotsky learned much about New York. He plunged too quickly into American socialist work, becoming immediately up to his neck in it. The Russian revolution arrived so soon that he only managed to catch the general life-rhythm of the monster called New York. He left for Europe with the feeling of a man who had only peeped into the foundry where man's fate is forged. His sole consolation was the thought he might return; he has not yet given up that hope.