What is Spartacist?

The Spartacist League is a small but notorious (and frequently erratic) left-wing group in the United States. They claim to be Trotskyists. I was an avid left-watcher in my youth, and often bought copies of their magazines Workers Vanguard and Spartacist at a "Mandelite" bookstore in Stockholm. I read them with about equal fascination and horror. This would have been around 1990.

During the 1960's, by contrast, the Spartacist League must have been complete bores. No Yuri Andropov Brigade, no defence of porn star Nina Hartley (she was only a child back then), and very few invectives against Tim Wohlforth or Lyn Marcus (although they are mentioned).

This issue of Spartacist was published in 1967. It contains an article on the elections in California won by Ronald Reagan, articles about student and union protests, a bizarre article claiming that Germany in on the brink of dictatorship, and a polemic against the Posadists. The latter were a competing Trotskyist current in Latin America, and had some influence in the left-wing guerrilla MR-13 in Guatemala (later, the Posadists became even crazier than the Sparts). Unless I'm mistaken, this issue of Spartacist also contain a weird "open letter" to a Soviet diplomat, demanding that the Soviet Union "extends its nuclear shield" to cover Hanoi. The magazine also reprints an article by Trotsky on "centrism".

The abstract sectarianism and polemic-mongering against equally insignificant left-wing groups (such as the ACFI) are already visible, but otherwise early Spartacist sound surprisingly undistinct. Even more surprisingly, the Freedom Socialist Party is listed as a "fraternal group" in the directory. Was Jim Robertson on a first name basis with Ms. Seattle Six-Gun? Somehow, I find that very hard to believe. Her husband, maybe.

The Sparts used to sell bound volumes of all early issues of their magazine, but unfortunately these are out of print. I'm not sure if anyone would be willing to pay 50 bucks for a single issue from 1967. I wouldn't, and I'm a cult-watcher, OK?

For old times sake, I give "Spartacist No. 9, Jan-Feb. 1967" three stars.

Nina Hartley's adult body might be more interesting.