"Working-class democracy knows no fetishes," writes comrade Trotsky in his theses, which are a "product of collective work." "It knows only revolutionary expediency" (thesis 23).

An unpleasant business has come about with these theses of comrade Trotsky. What is correct in them is not only not new, but also turns against Trotsky. And what is new in them is wholly incorrect.

I have extracted the correct propositions of comrade Trotsky. They turn against him not only on the question (concerning Glavpolitput) touched upon in thesis 23, but also on other questions.

Formally-democratically, Trotsky had the right to come forward with a factional platform even against the entire Central Committee. This is indisputable. It is equally indisputable that the Central Committee confirmed this formal right by its decision of 24 December 1920 on freedom of discussion. This formal right the buffer Bukharin recognizes for Trotsky, but does not recognize for the Petrograd organization – probably because Bukharin reached the point of "the sacred slogan of working-class democracy" on 30 December 1920 (p. 45 of the stenographic record)…

But then – revolutionary expediency?

Can one find even a single serious person, not blinded by the factional pride of the "Tsektran-ist" or "buffer" faction, who, in sound mind and firm memory, would find it revolutionary-expedient for such a figure as Trotsky, so authoritative a leader, to come forward in this manner on questions of the trade-union movement??

Can one deny that even if the "new tasks and methods" indicated by Trotsky had been indicated by him as correctly as they are in fact indicated by him wholly incorrectly (of which more below), then by this very approach to the matter Trotsky would not be causing harm to himself, to the party, to the trade-union movement, to the education of millions of trade-union members, and to the republic??

Good Bukharin and his group probably call themselves "buffers" because they have firmly decided not to think about what obligations this title imposes.