James P. Cannon

On the Witness Stand

(November 1941)

Published: The Militant, Vol. V No. 48, 29 November 1941, pp. 3–6, Vol. V No. 49, 6 December 1941, pp. 3–6 & Vol. V No. 50, 13 December 1941, pp. 2–5.
Source: PDFs supplied by the Riazanov Library Project.
Transcription/Mark-up: Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Public Domain: This work is in the under the Creative Commons Common Deed. You can freely copy, distribute and display this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit the Marxists’ Internet Archive/Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line as your source, include the url to this work, and note any of the transcribers, editors, translators, proofreaders etc. above.

First Witness for the Defense Gives Masterful Exposition
of Principles and Tactics of the SWP

[Introductory Questions]
The Formation of the Socialist Workers Party
The Fundamental Aim of the Party
The Bosses and the Middle Class in a Workers’ State
The Internal Laws Pushing Capitalism to Bankruptcy
Our Principles Have Not Changed
Prerequisites for the Revolution
‘Predictions’ on the Social Revolution
What Class Is Responsible for Violence?
The Possibility of Peaceful Revolution
Expropriation of the Sixty Families
‘Internationalist to the Very Core’
Our Interest in the Trade Union Movement
The Defense Offers Some Exhibits

How Trotskyists Oppose
All the Imperialists in the War

[Causes of Modern War]
Answering the Charges Relating to Sabotage
This Is Not “A War of Democracy Against Fascism”
Our Program Can Bring About the Defeat of Hitler
The Relation of the Party to Our Press
Editorials, Signed Columns and Articles in Our Press
The Position We Adopted on Conscription
Military Training Under Direction of Trade Unions
The Cause of Grievances in the Armed Forces
How We Seek to Put Military Policy into Effect
The February Revolution Overthrew Czarism
How the Bolshevik Party Came to Power
Differences Between Trotsky and Stalin
Why We Defend the Soviet Union
Marxism Is Our Party’s Guide to Action
A Workers’ State Will Lead to Classless Society
Relation of Trotsky to the Socialist Workers Party
Nature of Discussions with Trotsky

Origin and History
of the Workers’ Defense Guards

Workers’ Defense Guard Is Not a New Idea
Growth of Fascist Movements Before the War

The Opening of the Cross-Examination
The Role Of America’s Sixty Families
How the Bosses Will Try to Stop Us
Reactionary Legislation and Fascist Violence
How We’ll Try to Prevent Fascism in This Country
The Kind of Army a Workers’ State Will Have
Schweinhaut Reads Some Quotations
We Will Offer the Alternative of Socialism to War
Our Independent Tasks in Time of War
Defending the Legality of the Russian Revolution

Last updated on 23 March 2019