The third Manchester Class Struggle Forum will host a discussion on national liberation and internationalism, with a lead off from the World Revolution group.
From the IRA, MPLA and the Viet Minh, to Hezbollah, Hamas and the Tamil Tigers. All these anti-working class groups received support from a number of leftist in the 20th and 21st Centuries. This is not a new phenomenon, at the outbreak of the First World War all members of the ‘Second International’ apart from The Bolsheviks lined up in support of their respective national bourgeoisie.
Is it right for communists to support national liberation struggles, however critically? Did not Marx and Engels support national liberation? Was it ever correct historically to support national liberation?
Please come and discuss the national question with us.
To best prepare yourself for the debate we suggest you read the following two pamphlets.
Nation or Class by the ICC – http://en.internationalism.org/pamphlets/nationorclass/
Against Nationalism by AF – http://libcom.org/library/against-nationalism
If you would like to read more, Lenin and Luxemburg famously exchanged polemics on this matter.
Lenin: The Right of Nations to Self-Determination (1914)http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1914/self-det/index.htm
Luxemburg: The National Question (1909) http://www.marxists.org/archive/luxemburg/1909/national-question/index.htm