The generic LEFT as I have always known it was a pillar of the FREE SPEECH, FREE THOUGHT tradition of Western Civilization

The generic LEFT as I have always known it was a pillar of the FREE SPEECH, FREE THOUGHT tradition of Western Civilization. In recent decades I have also observed the so called MARXIST Left degenerate into close minded STALINST totalitarians- completely out of touch with any real working class people. Beware their sinister -very undemocratic - VANGUARD parties. A rival theater to the Church of Scientology ! And Leon Trotsky - an revolutionary idol for a century - would not recognize any " Fourth International " around to today. Nor would he recognize Jack Barnes' SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY or David North's cultish SOCIALIST EQUALITY PARTY . And yet as the democratic socialist writer , George Orwell, said way back in the 1930s : " Socialism should be obvious ". I speak as a longtime independent democratic socialist who gave critical support to Bernie Sanders back in 2016. Bernie shocked the Democratic Party in Rhode Island winning its April presidential primary. Sadly " socialist " Bernie Sanders BETRAYED any socialism he believed in by endorsing the war mongering , " Wall Street Hillary " .And today can one anti-war voice be heard in the " WOKE-WARRIOR " Democratic Party ?