[Marxism] SWP and Respect-- a central issue is the nationalquestion

[Joaquin Bustelo]

Greg said, "Like I said before, I was not being sarcastic when I suggested
the lack of white socialist support for their Muslim brothers and sisters
could quite possibly be attributed to their not having had the historical
experience of a Malcolm X or a BPP.  It seems those folks across the pond
would rather nitpick about whether or not to put great before Britain. Small
wonder it's so fucked to the gills."

Actually, the state of the British left --at least at first blush-- seems a
little better than the one in the U.S. 

With about 1/5th the U.S. population, the organized left groups there are
much, much larger than the ones here. Socialist ideas are much more
widespread and widely accepted. There is relatively greater openness and
diversity of views, even in the bourgeois media.

And as for understanding of the national question --at least as I understand
it-- that's not even a significant minority of the left in either country.
And while Britain may not have had a Rev. King, Malcolm X, or a Black
Panther Party, I doubt greatly they have anything like the consolidated
Democratic Party penetration of the oppressed communities as exists here --
especially in the Black community. 

Joaquin