Du Bois marked a great stage in the history of Negro struggles when he said that Negroes could no longer accept the subordination which Booker T. Washington had preached.
C. L. R. JamesRead
I was a Labour Party man but I found myself to the left of the Labour party in Nelson, militant as that was. I came to London and in a few months I was a Trotskyist.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the author's evolving political beliefs, indicating a shift from mainstream to more radical ideologies.
C. L. R. James illustrates his journey through political landscapes, starting as a member of the Labour Party and eventually aligning himself with Trotskyism. This evolution captures the dynamic nature of political identity, as he found his beliefs to be further left than the established party he initially supported, highlighting the search for more revolutionary ideologies in the context of the politics of his time.
Themes
PoliticsLabour PartyTrotskyismRevolutionRadicalism
In practice
Example use cases
During a political discussion about changing ideologies, this quote can illustrate the journey of one's beliefs.
More from C. L. R. James
All quotes →Technological discoveries are the spermatozoa of social change.
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One of the surest signs of the estimated changes in the consciousness of the American proletariat is to be found in the character of the demands now being put forward by the leadership.
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Capitalism has socialized production. It has brought thousands of people together in the factory and involved them in new social relationships.
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Today, in American imperialism, the commodity has reached its most grandiose historical manifestation.
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Property-owners are the most energetic flag-waggers and patriots in every country, but only so long as they enjoy their possessions: to safeguard those they desert God, King and Country in a twinkling.
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