If you want to say, following Carrol, that any nationalism supported by the U.S. should be opposed because of the U.S. role in the world, that is defensible, though I happen to disagree.
If, on the other hand, you support a particular nationalism on the grounds that peoples *in general* have a *right* to be free from foreign domination, then you are obliged to support all nationalisms, not just the ones the U.S. opposes.
To bring it closer to home, if I support Black nationalism on the grounds that African- Americans have a right to autonomous development, including self-segregation along the lines that Art McGee raised recently, then my support cannot be conditional on your autonomous development following particular lines congenial to me. If you support autonomy for others, you have to let go.
In the same vein, if we say that Palestinians have a right to self-determination, not because the U.S. opposes an independent Palestine, but because self-determination is a right, then Jews have a right to a state as well. Jews are no less a nation than Palestinians. This raises the huge problem of how two such states could co-exist, but that's a practical issue that doesn't cancel anyone's 'right' to self-determination, if we think there is such a right. (I do.)
mbs
-----Original Message----- From: owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com [mailto:owner-lbo-talk at lists.panix.com]On Behalf Of Charles Brown Sent: Sunday, July 29, 2001 4:22 PM To: lbo-talk at lists.panix.com Subject: RE: Anti-Zionism Is Racism
>>> sawicky at bellatlantic.net 07/28/01 05:02PM >>>
I have noted previously on PEN-L that some leninist support for nationalism is totally hypocritical, since it is premised entirely on opposition to the U.S. or Europe, not on any commitment to ideas of freedom or autonomy per se. But we don't have many leninists here on LBO, and perhaps none for whom my criticism applies.
((((((((((
CB: That sounds like a provocation here.
And I sure hope Michael gave you a reprimand when you said on PEN-L.