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
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that property owners often prioritize their possessions over loyalty to their country or ideals.
C. L. R. James critiques the behavior of property owners, implying that their patriotism is conditional and largely driven by self-interest. When their possessions are threatened, their allegiance to God, King, and Country can quickly fade, revealing the superficial nature of their loyalty. This observation serves as a reflection on how material wealth can influence personal values and societal responsibilities.
Themes
PatriotismPropertyLoyaltySelf-InterestCritique
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on political priorities in a community meeting.
More from C. L. R. James
All quotes βTechnological discoveries are the spermatozoa of social change.
C. L. R. JamesRead
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.
C. L. R. JamesRead
Capitalism has socialized production. It has brought thousands of people together in the factory and involved them in new social relationships.
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.
C. L. R. JamesRead
Today, in American imperialism, the commodity has reached its most grandiose historical manifestation.
C. L. R. JamesRead
Similar quotes
How many a dispute could have been deflated into a single paragraph if the disputants had dared to define their terms
AristotleRead
Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
J. D. SalingerRead
Some of the comments that have been uttered about Islam do not reflect the sentiments of my government or the sentiments of most Americans. Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others. Ours is a country based upon tolerance and we welcome people of all faiths in America.
George W. BushRead
Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.
Potter StewartRead
But most it is presumption in us when the help of heaven we count the act of men.
William ShakespeareRead
Everything in life is a metaphor.
Haruki MurakamiRead