We must accept decisively and without any reservation the complete and unconditional right of the blacks to independence . . . The proletarian revolutionaries must never forget the right of the oppressed nationalities to self-determination, including full separation, and the duty of the proletariat of the oppressing nation to defend this right with arms if necessary. . .
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Revolutionaries must support the right of oppressed nations to independence and separate if they choose.
- In plain terms
- Support oppressed groups' right to self-rule.
- What can you take from it?
- Self-determination is a key revolutionary duty.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is separation necessary?
- How to balance unity and independence?
Another view
Separation can sometimes create new problems.
More from Leon Trotsky
You may not be interested in the dialectic, but the dialectic is interested in you.
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