George Breitman: A fighter to the end for socialism

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The period following the 1981 SWP national convention was the most painful of Breitman's life. His arthritic condition had severely crippled him. And his party was throwing its program overboard, along with its best and most loyal members.

Despite these hardships, Breitman devo -ted every ounce of his remaining energy to the struggle for program and theory—to the fight for a political clarification of the issues in dispute in the SWP. He was deeply committed to preserving the revolutionary continuity of the movement founded by Trotsky and Cannon for future generations of class-struggle militants.

Above all, Breitman was concerned that the wrong lessons not be drawn from the factional struggle inside the SWP. He became impatient with-and would argue bitterly against—all those who claimed that the seeds of the party's degeneration were to be found in the Leninist concept of the party or in the SWP's program and practice Breitman traced the beginning of the party's degeneration to 1979, when the party leadership began to revise its previous George Breitman (left) with Larry Trainor at SWP camp in late 1940s.

positions on the Cuban Revolution and on Trotsky's theory of permanent revolution. all the major debates within the Fourth lacking experience in the class struggle, had He sought to preserve and defend the lost confidence in the party's historic political and organizational gains made by In January 1984, Breitman was bureau - program. They then imposed their anti- the party from its founding up to 1979. cratically expelled from the SWP. He was Trotskyist orientation on the party over a Until the very end, Breitman remained framed up on charges of "disloyalty" and period of nearly five years. In fact, after "Cannonist" and Trotskyist, two desig expelled without a trial. Along with scores 1981, all debate of the leadership's new nations used simply to denote a revolu of other party members who remained loyal to the original program of the SWP, Breit - After his expulsion, Breitman helped We in Socialist Action pay tribute to a man had become an outspoken opponent of found the Fourth Internationalist Tendency revolutionist who was our comrade and the party leadership's abandonment of and was an editor of its monthly magazine, friend. We pledge to continue the struggle the Bulletin in Defense of Marxism. for the program and principles that By 1984 the SWP was no longer the Breitman, like the other expelled SWP Breitman and our movement in this country same party as the one to which Breitman members, appealed his expulsion to the have fought for during the past 50 years. had devoted 50 years of his life. The new party leadership and membership on various We are strengthened in our commitment generation of party leaders, drawn from the occasions from 1984 to 1986—but to no to pursue this work by the example of student radicalization of the 1960s and remembered CHICAGO-Friends of George Breit -man, veteran leader of the American Trotskyist movement who died April 19, recently gathered here for a memorial meeting to commemorate his life and contributions to revolutionary Marxism.

Organized by Socialist Action for George's friends in the Chicago area, the Imeeting was attended by many of his ; longtime political associates and members ¡ of several political groups. Greetings were heard from Socialist Action, Solidarity, and Gusty Trainor in Mexico in 1940. Recalling George's extensive theoretical work and his dedication to building a In the early 1970s, Gusty was a leader of revolutionary socialist organization, Adam the Boston women's liberation movement, Shils of Socialist Action observed that a cause she continues to champion to this "George saw his task as educating and consolidating the new cadre in our At the tail end of the McCarthy movement. He therefore threw himself into witchhunt, Gusty and Larry helped recruit a the editing of the 'Writings of Leon new generation of youth to the Trotskyist movement, which enabled it to become in - "George also delved deep into the history volved in many of the important struggles of the Socialist Workers Party—not as an academic study, but so that the lessons of A number of those present remembered the hard struggle waged by Jim Cannon and the many hours they spent at the Trainor his comrades would not be lost and could household learning about the struggles of instead be a compass for us in these the workers in the past, learning that workers are fully capable of changing the Patrick Quinn, a member of Solidarity, recounted Breitman's many contributions to This writer was honored to say a few the Trotskyist movement, including his words at the event. I'm sure I shared the work on the SWP's defense campaign for feelings of everyone when I said that the Jimmy Kutcher, "the legless veteran," in example of Gusty Trainor and the comrades the 1950s and his writings on Malcolm X. of her generation, as well as those who A spokesperson for the group Spark came before her, was the reason our hearts paid tribute to George's theoretical work and minds remain true to the socialist and its importance in educating future generations of revolutionary socialists.

The event was organized by Boston Socialist Action and friends of Gusty old.

Political committees. Leon Trotsky."

legacy of Malcolm X. International. Trotskyism.

prior to 1979. course was banned inside the party. tionary socialist in today's world. avail. George Breitman.

Breitman

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"orothea Vireitman courtesy of