> > “Racism” and “Islamophobia” are not a Marxist analysis. > >
Excuse me? I am not sure how one could consider themselves a Marxist and not be for struggling against racism in order to unite the working class. “Labor in the white skin can never free itself as long as labor in the black skin is branded.” ― Karl Marx, in regards to the United States Similarly, Marx said this about relations between the English working class and the Irish: "I have become more and more convinced–and the only question is to bring this conviction home to the English working class–that it can never do anything decisive here in England until it separates its policy with regard to Ireland in the most definite way from the policy of the ruling classes, until it not only makes common cause with the Irish, but actually takes the initiative in dissolving the Union established in 1801 and replacing it by a free federal relationship. And, indeed, this must be done, not as a matter of sympathy with Ireland, but as a demand made in the interests of the English proletariat. If not, the English people will remain tied to the leading-strings of the ruling classes, because it must join with them in a common front against Ireland." - Marx letter to Kugelmann. London, November 29, 1869 Marx felt that the English working class must side with the Irish in the *Irish struggle* (separate from their own struggle as English workers) or else they would be tied to their own ruling class against their own interests. In both cases, the antagonism between these two separate categories of the working class (one not oppressed, the other oppressed) must be removed BEFORE the struggle of even the un-oppressed could succeed. Such basic Marxism 101 isn't what I thought I would be arguing here. I'll leave this here, a quote from the constitution of a union here in the US, albeit one with communist influence and a history of class struggle and anti-racist/anti-imperialist struggle: "Workers are indivisible. There can be no discrimination because of race, color, creed, national origin, religious or political belief, sex, gender preference, or sexual orientation. Any division among the workers can help no one but the employers. Discrimination of worker against worker is suicide. Discrimination is a weapon of the boss. Its entire history is proof that it has served no other purpose than to pit worker against worker to their own destruction." https://www.ilwu.org/about/ten-guiding-principles/ If even a US union can take this lesson to heart so explicitly, one would think that a *Marxist* wouldn't have to have this basic principle presented. In this day, when the right wing is pushing hard to divide the working class (to its destruction as the ILWU asserts), I question the sincerity of any claiming to be a Marxist but not considering racism an obstacle to working class emancipation. So there: I'm a lurker but mods, I question the sincerity of the Marxmail participant, "Kristin Bayrd" and their participation in this list. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#42935): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/42935 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/120702553/21656 -=-=- 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/13617172/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
