[Marxism] Kurds and Albanians have the right to self-determination

[Ozleft <Ozleft@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Kurds and the Albanians are clearly nationalities within the
framework of Lenin's ideas on nationalities and in the Leninist spirit
they have the right to self-determination

By Bob Gould

There has been an outbreak of prejudiced rubbish about the Kurds on the
Marxmail list and the US SWP list, often written by people who should
know better. There's also a distinct anti-Albanian slant to the often
slightly bizarre discussion of the death of Slobodan Milosevic on
Marxmail, and Leftist Trainspotters.

Several very learned Marxists have tried to refute the general thrust of
the pamphlet written by Stalin on the national question, ignoring the
fact that the guiding hand in Stalin's pamphlet was clearly Lenin.

Both the Kurds, 30-35 million of them, and the Albanians, six million of
them, occupy contiguous areas in which there are relatively small
minorities.

Imperialist conspiracies over the years have denied the Kurds a formal
state, which is an atrocity.

There's little evidence against the proposition that both nationalities
have a strong impulse to form a national state in their contiguous areas.

In all their abuse of Mike Karadjis, the assorted opponents of
self-determination for small nationalities make no serious attempt to
challenge his description of the history and circumstances of the modern
Balkans.

The latest outburst against the Kurds gives no weight at all to their
right to self-determination, and treats the whole nationality as some
kind of tool of imperialism, which is an absurdity.

The central slogan for socialists concerning Iraq should be immediate
withdrawal of imperialist troops, and there can be little doubt that if
that happens the Kurds will immediately declare independence, which is
their right. Or are they to be coerced in some way into a unified Iraq
by some force that's hard to imagine?

Even after the white counter-revolution had succeeded in Finland in
1920-21, the Bolsheviks still defended the right of Finland to
self-determination.

The latter-day Luxembourgists on Marxmail, who include some surprising
people, are really arguing with Lenin about the right of nations to
self-determination. Their attack on the Kurds is metaphysics and idealism.

No amount of pseudo anti-imperialist rhetoric from residents of the US
is going to persuade a nationality such as the Kurds to surrender their
national rights. And why should they?



________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text before replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism