Malcolm X and the struggle for liberty. (notice the language: 'that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice...and that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.' taken from Barry Goldwater's acceptance of the GOP nomination in 1964.) I am not saying that Malcolm was a Republican...and I am not saying Goldwater was a sympathizer of Malcolm's. At the time of this speech, one could reasonably argue that they were diametrically opposed, given Goldwater's courting of southerners.
Nonetheless, the ideas of personal responsibility, resentment of injustice, and the fundamental concepts of human liberty are unmistakably similar.
They were both calling for greater regional autonomy. Barry Goldwater wanted it for State governments, and Malcom X wanted it for the black community. Barry Goldwater was against the government forcing people to integrate and Malcom X felt the same way. He didn't want integration, he wanted seperation. Both Goldwater and X were also against the draft. Goldwater wanted an end to welfare and X was urging blacks to get off it. The two would have had very violent disagreements over American foreign policy. Goldwater was a Cold War hawk who wanted to contain the spread of Communism in Asia. X felt that the Vietnamese and Chinese were fighting for independence and that it should be given to them.
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