Anthony Powell was the most European of 20th-century British novelists. Tariq Ali More Quotes by Tariq Ali More Quotes From Tariq Ali I am, in general, favourable to activism and social movements and hostile to graft and corruption. Tariq Ali general i-am corruption social Political pundits in Delhi and Islamabad have berated the West for its relativism and double-standards. After all why should Britain have a nuclear arsenal but not India? It is a reasonable question. Tariq Ali question delhi india political Revolutionaries are not infallible. Tariq Ali revolutionaries infallible Ralph Miliband was a socialist intellectual of great integrity. He belonged to a generation of socialists formed by the Russian revolution and the Second World War, a generation that dominated left-wing politics for almost a century. Tariq Ali great politics integrity war I was never totally what we would now call 'politically correct,' even in my most militant phase. I always liked good food, good wines. I suppose it was because I had total confidence in myself. Tariq Ali good myself confidence food We were constantly appealing for funds from readers when I edited 'The Black Dwarf' in 1968-69. Tariq Ali dwarf were edited black The hostility between India and Pakistan has become a habit to which both the elites have become addicted. Any attempt towards a rational solution to real problems is denounced by chauvinists on both sides. Tariq Ali solution problems habit india An act of unilateral nuclear disarmament by a European power would have a much more lasting impact than all the sanctions under consideration. Sanctions, as we know from the example of Iraq, always affect the least powerful citizens the most. Tariq Ali know always powerful power Poland, after the First World War, was beset by chaos, disorder, and a foolish incursion by the Red Army, which helped to produce the ultra-nationalist military dictatorship of General Pilsudski. Tariq Ali red army war world In my eyes, a patriot is little more than an international blackleg. Tariq Ali than little eyes more In the calculus of western interests, there is no suffering, whatever its scale, which cannot be justified. Chechens, Palestinians, Iraqis, Afghans, Pakistanis are of little importance. Tariq Ali cannot whatever importance suffering Those who really value Ukrainian sovereignty should opt for real independence and a positive neutrality: neither a plaything of the West nor Moscow. Tariq Ali value independence real positive Independence is the only way Scotland can realise its full political and cultural potential in the 21st century. Tariq Ali potential independence political way The weakness in traditional Scottish nationalism lay in its own inability to grasp that identity could not be the only factor in the march to independence. Tariq Ali own independence weakness identity An independent Scotland could be far more internationalist and would benefit a great deal from links to both Scandinavia and states in other continents. Tariq Ali far more great independent Scotland's political identity was destroyed, and a huge Scottish emigration to North America followed the brutal Highland clearances. These included every layer of Scottish society, not just the remnants of the defeated clans. Tariq Ali society political identity america As a political current, Maoism was always weak in Britain, confined largely to students from Asia, Africa and Latin America. Tariq Ali always political students america Scandinavia was awash with Maoism in the '70s. Sweden had Maoist groups with a combined membership and periphery of several thousand members, but it was Norway where Maoism became a genuine popular force and hegemonic in the culture. Tariq Ali where genuine force culture Young women and men who joined the far-left groups did so for the best of reasons. They wanted to change the world. Many fought against the stifling atmosphere in many groups. Tariq Ali best women change men When I arrived to study at Oxford in October 1963, the bohemian style was black plastic or leather jackets for women and black leather or navy donkey jackets for men. I stuck to cavalry twills and a duffle coat, at least for a few months. Tariq Ali women style black men