Joe Allen recounts a story from 1980s, in which he asks a question to then leading democratic socialist Michael Harrington only to be glibly dismissed as the “Trot in the room.” That seems likely. Harrington engaged substantively with people like Peter Camejo, but his patience with others to his left often faltered. And not exactly uniquely — the history of the twentieth century is littered with curmudgeonly radicals.

In this case, it’s not clear what prompted the rudeness. From the account, it sounds like Harrington didn’t know Allen personally beforehand. He was perhaps tipped off by the language he used, its mode of thought, and style. There is no doubt that “Trots” can be singled out in a room full of leftists. And normally for good reasons: whatever its blemishes, American Trotskyism has been marked by rigor and seriousness, and record of being right on the major political questions of the twentieth century.

So while I appreciate the comradely tone of Allen’s response, it was disappointing to see it filled with inaccuracies. Billed as a substantive consideration, his piece is instead a polemic.