I agree with Michael Pröbsting <https://groups.io/g/marxmail/topic/107681802> that Lenins discussion on the Serbian national liberation struggle in WWI can provide us with some useful pointers in developing a revolutionary Marxist approach to Ukraines struggle against Russian aggression, occupation, and annexation. However, unlike Michael, I do not base my support of Ukraines resistance on what he terms Ukraines semicolonial character. My reading of Lenins analysis in WWI goes much deeper. In fact, Lenin and most of the Zimmerwald Left defended the national sovereignty of several European nations subject to foreign occupation and annexation including even imperialist Belgium, occupied by German imperialism. And I think it can be argued that Lenins initial response to Serbias resistance to Austo-Hungarian oppression evolved in the debates among the Zimmerwald Left. In any case, here is what I published on the national question in WWI, not long ago: Support Ukraine? <https://lifeonleft.blogspot.com/2022/12/support-ukraine-why-and-how.html> Why and How. I think it stands up well in light of the differences in todays left forces over the Russian-Ukraine war.
Also worth consulting is Hal Drapers essay: The Myth of Lenin <https://www.marxists.org/archive/draper/1953/defeat/index.htm> s Revolutionary Defeatism. Richard -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#31410): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31410 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107689154/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
