Trotsky vs the backscratchers
01-04-2025 • Ryan Prendergast
There's a parable that I like, of the old college friend:
"I stayed on Dave's couch, but he kicked me out. I was like Trotsky to him"
"Trotsky?"
"Yea Trotsky. Countries kept inviting him in, because they felt bad for him— he was being persecuted by Stalin in Russia. They would give him a house and a place, and he would immediately take to the streets and start a communist riot."
"…"
"And he was good at it! He was good at talking and arguing and convincing people to revolt, and the host country would ask him to please stop stirring up revolution and riots on the streets. We're being nice taking you in, they'd say, and if you just keep your head down, we can keep you safe."
"But he didn't."
"Of course he didn't! He couldn't. He couldn't help himself; it's just who he was. And so he got kicked out of Turkey and France and Norway until finally he made his way to Mexico, where he wasn't safe and got assassinated by a Stalinist."
"And that's you?"
"Yep. You know, he's married now. Has a quiet life. And I came in and kept dragging him out and getting him drunk till 4 am, and he told me "we can't do this; I'm going to get in trouble with my wife. Let's just have a chill night, watch a movie", and I'd say "yes of course", and the next night we'd be drunk again. She kicked me out on day 4."
The parable was called "Trotsky vs the back scratchers."