Daniel Bensaid 1946-2010

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Another sad loss for the revolutionary movement occurred recently.  Long time Marxist intellectual and leading member of the French Revolutionary Communist League, the New Anti-Capitalist Party and the Fourth International (United Secretariat) Daniel Bensaid died this week after a long illness.

While I have had many disagreements with Daniel and the organizations he helped to lead I will sorely miss his articles and books.  He was a gifted, undogmatic and expansive thinker; impossible to not take seriously.  How many Trotskyists can you say that about?  His Marx For Our Times is a perfect example of his qualities.

Here is a selection of the English language appreciations I’ve come across (I’ve stumbled on obituaries in many, many different languages which is in itself a tribute to the revolutionary internationalist Bensaid).  I’ll add as they become available:

Bensaid’s comrade Francois Sabado from International Viewpoint writes of Daniel as militant, intellectual and friend.  Britain’s Socialist Resistance has condolences here.

Alex Callinicos writes on the newly revamped website of the British Socialist Workers Party this obituary and sent this statement to the NPA.

Liam has a rough translation of the article that appeared in the daily Liberation here.  The Junius Blog offers their thoughts as does Socialist Unity and Harpymarx.

The International Socialist Organization has an article by Gilbert Achcar of the Fourth International (Usec) in the latest Socialist Worker where he pays tribute to Bensaid’s contribution to the Trotskyist tradition.

A huge selection of Daniel”s articles in French can be accessed here and a substantial amount of English articles here.

Daniel Bensaïd, Presenté!