“the liberal tries to become an arbitrator, but he is incapable of solving the problems. he promises the oppressor that he can keep the oppressed under control; that he will stop them from becoming illegal (in this case illegal means violent).”

“at the same time, he promises the oppressed that he will be able to alleviate their suffering—in due time. historically, of course, we know this is impossible, and our era will not escape history.”

“the most perturbing question for the liberal is the question of violence. the liberal’s initial reaction to violence is to try to convince the oppressed that violence is an incorrect tactic, that violence will not work, that violence never accomplishes anything.”

“most societies in the West are not opposed to violence. the oppressor is only opposed to violence when the oppressed talks about using violence against the oppressor. then the question of violence is raised as the incorrect means to attain one’s ends.”

“for example, that Britain, France, and the US have time & time again armed Black people to fight their enemies for them. France armed Senegalese in World War II, Britain of course armed Africa & the West Indies, and the United States always armed the Africans living in the US.”

“but that is only to fight against their enemy & the question of violence is never raised. the only time the US, England or France will become concerned about the question of violence is when the people whom they armed to kill their enemies will pick up those arms against them.”

“the way the oppressor tries to stop the oppressed from using violence as a means to attain liberation is to raise ethical or moral questions about violence. violence in any society is neither moral nor ethical. it is simply a question of who has the power to legalize violence.”

“let me give an example: if i were in Vietnam, if i killed thirty vietnamese people who were pointed out to me by white Americans as my enemy, i would be given a medal. i would become a hero. i would have killed America’s enemy—but America’s enemy is not my enemy.”

“is it not violent for a child to go to bed hungry in the richest country in the world? i think it is violent. but that type of violence is so institutionalized that it becomes a part of our way of life. not only do we accept poverty, we even find it normal. and that again is...”

“what the liberal really wants is to bring about change which will not in any way endanger his position. the liberal says, ‘it is a fact that you are poor, and it is a fact that some people are rich; but we can make you rich without affecting those people who are rich.’”

“to keep the oppressed from discovering his pitfalls the liberal talks about humanism. he talks about individual freedom, about individual relationships. one cannot talk about human idealism in a society that is run by fascists.“

—kwame ture, the pitfalls of liberalism