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Agree, its the best I’ve seen yet, and further confirmed my thinking on the topic.
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<div class="">On Oct 12, 2017, at 19:31, David Johnson via Peace-discuss <<a href="mailto:peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net" class="">peace-discuss@lists.chambana.net</a>> wrote:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">Good article David !<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">Since the Catalonia separatist movement began in earnest, I have seen conflicting analysis from a lot of different Left sources, and frankly I was uncertain as to support it or
not.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">This article really helped to clarify everything.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">My initial knee jerk reaction was inclination to support, based on the fact that if the neo-liberal rulers in Madrid and the EU opposed it that it must be a good thing especially
since it appeared to be the will of the vast majority of the people in Catalonia.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: rgb(31, 73, 125);" class="">David J.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<b class=""><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;" class="">From:</span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif;" class=""><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Peace-discuss [<a href="mailto:peace-discuss-bounces@lists.chambana.net" class="">mailto:peace-discuss-bounces@lists.chambana.net</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b class="">On
Behalf Of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b>David Green via Peace-discuss<br class="">
<b class="">Sent:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Wednesday, October 11, 2017 10:31 PM<br class="">
<b class="">To:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Peace-discuss List<br class="">
<b class="">Subject:</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>[Peace-discuss] Kagarlitsky on Catalonia<o:p class=""></o:p></span></div>
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<strong class=""><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class="">Excerpt:</span></strong><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class="">But who needs to take into account Spanish-speaking workers? They are the “invaders”! If we look for comparisons, what is happening is similar to the time of the collapse of the USSR, and Catalonia is dominated
by the same monstrous illusions that were sown by nationalists at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, what is happening now has a deeper basis in the sphere of political economy. This is not an accident that the triumph of neo-liberalism
was accompanied everywhere by the crisis of national states and federations, the emergence and flourishing of all sorts of separatism, including exotic ones. In this sense, there is no difference between the ruling circles of Madrid and Barcelona. They represent
the same class interests, only each represents them at a different level. Disintegration of federations and crisis of state institutions, which are currently happening everywhere are closely linked to the austerity policies pursued by both Madrid and Barcelona.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class="">This
is a continuation of the general logic of de-solidarisation, privatization and fragmentation characteristic of neoliberalism. It was this political economic logic that underlay the collapse of the USSR, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. This logic assumes not
only rejection of solidarity based on class and rejection of common humanistic values, but also substitution of the national values by the ethnic ones. It is ethnic nationalism that proves to be an ideal “substitute” for class or civic solidarity. It preserves
the necessary sense of “community” for people, while narrowing it down to the size of an imaginary large family.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class="">Similar dynamics could be observed in Europe at the beginning of the twentieth century, when Rosa Luxemburg cautioned other leftists of the dangers of flirting with the petty-bourgeois nationalism of small
nations. Reactionary and semi-fascist regimes were established in most of the new states formed in place of the disintegrating empires. The only lucky exception was Czechoslovakia, which was soon happily torn to pieces by neighbors such as Germany with a help
from Poland and Hungary. It would seem that the lessons of the first half of the twentieth century should be enough to draw the necessary conclusions. Alas, the modern European left, which developed in the context of deindustrialization and decline of class
solidarity, is itself a product of neoliberalism and is completely imbued with the spirit of petty-bourgeois romanticism. Therefore, the left does not dare to openly say that the nationalism of minorities in no less damaging for the working class cause than
any other nationalism.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class="">There is a good news, nevertheless. The success of Jeremy Corbin and his renewed Labor Party in Scotland returns class agenda to the region once considered the backbone of the labor movement. Nationalist
demagogy quickly loses appeal among the masses whenever a real, substantial left alternative appears. The development of small-town nationalism (as, indeed, of other types of nationalism) is inversely proportional to the strength and influence of the left.
Whenever supporters of social transformations fail, their place is immediately occupied by preachers of national exclusiveness. Conversely, the rise of the left forces inevitably leads to the decline of nationalist organizations.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;" class=""><a href="https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/11/catalonia-the-revolt-of-the-rich/" style="color: purple; text-decoration: underline;" class="">https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/10/11/catalonia-the-revolt-of-the-rich/</a><o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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