[Marxism] I'm not convinced that Blacks are a nation within the US nation.

[Rohan Gaiswinkler <rohanger@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Joaquin Bustelo is one of the contributors on this list whom I admire for his 
experience and insight on a range of matters.  For eg, his criticism of the 
lack of dedication amoung revolutionary leftists for organisational unity is 
pertinent and deserves much reflection here.

  On the question of Black nationalism, however,  I am yet to be convinced, 
Joaquin, by your argument that Blacks constitute a nation within the US.  I am 
waiting for your reply to Nick Fredman (see below) as I find his argument more 
convincing than yours (so far).

  In solidarity,
  Rohan G

  
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  Joaquin Bustelo:

  I'm not really very concerned with the right "definition" of the term
"nation." That Blacks don't fit the classic
definition of "nation" only means the classic
definition is inadequate.

  Nick Fredman:

Well this is completely circular. Blacks are a
nation because Blacks are a nation. Surely if
there's some great importance in defining the
black question as a national question, you've got
to have some idea of what a "nation" is. You seem
to be implying something along the lines of the
Otto Bauer definition of a nation, that Stalin
was polemicising against, that nations were
"aggregates of people bound into a community of
character by a common destiny." It was Michel
Lowy's agreement with this sort of definition
that led him in his book /Fatherland or Mother
Earth?/ to define African Americans as a nation,
but this leads to all sorts of difficulties, e.g.
Lowy by the same token sees Jews as a nation.

What reason is there for seeing Blacks as a
nation, rather than an oppressed racial caste,
besides the view national questions within an
imperialist country being supposedly inherently
more important than racial questions. But why
can't the struggle against racial oppression be
absolutely central to the class struggle in the
US, even if it isn't a national struggle per se?

                
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