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Against Liberalism in the American Negro Question

By N. Nasonov

Articles published recently have prompted Comrade Schick to criticize sharply our views, in which connection he put forward an "original" point of view on the American Negro problem. His article is longer than the one he criticizes. It is physically impossible to answer on all points. We shall brush aside all polemical attacks and also those which by their coarseness go beyond the ordinary limits of polemics. He wants to cover up his weak theoretical points by the use of abusive and strong words.
I should mention by the way that my article was written eight months ago and that I have already forgotten many of the facts upon which my article was based. But one must answer. The subject is very important and new. Comrade Schick digresses from the truth by saying that "the first half of Nassonov's article (the better half) is a popular presentation of generally known facts.... No one will undertake to dispute these facts and figures." The "generally known facts and figures" contained in Comrade Haywood's and my articles have for the first time been presented in such light. We should recall that Comrade Schick himself either did not see or disputed these facts and figures when he wrote that: "They (the Communists) should demand for the oppressed American Negroes, not as a nation but as a race, as well as for the oppressed Jews in some capitalist countries, not the right of national self-determination (for who is going to do the self-determining?), but full political and social equality." (The Communist International N. 33-34, 1928).
To compare the position of the Jews with that of Negroes, means not to know the "generally known facts."
Comrade Schick would do better if he disputed the "generally known facts" rather than bringing the discussion back to the general formulation of the national problem.
We shall devote our reply to three chief tasks:
1. To show that Schick abandons the present position of Communism on the national problem.
2. To show and to prove that there is a cardinal difference between the position of Comrade Schick and that of the Comintern on the Negro problem.

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