*Those Who Fought For Our Communist Future Are Kindred Spirits- Honor American Trotskyist Leader James P. Cannon

 

 

Click below to link to the James P. Cannon Internet Archive's copy of his 1944 chapter on the history of the early American Trotskyist movement, "The Dog Days Of The Left Opposition".


http://www.marxists.org/archive/cannon/works/1944/ht02.htm

Every January, as readers of this blog are now, hopefully, familiar with the international communist movement honors the 3 Ls-Lenin, Luxemburg and Leibknecht, fallen leaders of the early 20th century communist movement who died in this month (and whose untimely deaths left a huge, irreplaceable gap in the international leadership of that time). January is thus a time for us to reflect on the roots of our movement and those who brought us along this far. In order to give a fuller measure of honor to our fallen forbears this January, and in future Januarys, this space will honor others who have contributed in some way to the struggle for our communist future. That future classless society, however, will be the true memorial to their sacrifices.

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Note on inclusion: As in other series on this site (“Labor’s Untold Story”, “Leaders Of The Bolshevik Revolution”, etc.) this year’s honorees do not exhaust the list of every possible communist worthy of the name. Nor, in fact, is the list limited to Bolshevik-style communists. There will be names included from other traditions (like anarchism, social democracy, the Diggers, Levellers, Jacobins, etc.) whose efforts contributed to the international struggle. Also, as was true of previous series this year’s efforts are no more than an introduction to these heroes of the class struggle. Future years will see more detailed information on each entry, particularly about many of the lesser known figures. Better yet, the reader can pick up the ball and run with it if he or she has more knowledge about the particular exploits of some communist militant, or to include a missing one.

Markin comment:

I will stand by my previously stated remarks made in many earlier entries about the place of James P. Cannon in the American revolutionary pantheon- he had, in his prime, the capacity, warts and all, to help lead the American socialist revolution, if the opportunity had ever presented itself. The above-linked article is placed here as evidence of that capacity and to show the current generation that, even though we are in a trough in the class struggle better days are coming, or we had better act like they are.