>Messsage du 20/11/2000 16:57
>De : <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>A : <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com>
>Copie à :
>Objet : Re: White Men & Freedom Essential to Capitalism
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> "Christopher B. Hajib-Niles" wrote:
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> >
> > > "Christopher B. Hajib-Niles" wrote:
> > >
> > > > hope for america begins when significant numbers of "whites" refuse the identity and act accordingly.
> > >
> > > There is (some) hope for significant numbers of white workers to join in struggles
> > > to change the objective conditions which generate racism as an ideology.
> >
> > where do you see this happening? and again, i don't see racism, whatever that is,
>
> I don't particularly -- but it is the only hope.
fair enough...
Your moralizing leads to utter despair
first of all, i'm not sure what statements of mine you are qualifying as moralizing. i'd appreciate it if you could share them with me so that i might, if necessary, apologize and correct my ways. there are few things i find more tiresome and pointless.
second, though i'm familiar with utter despair--any conscious person would be--i felt much less hopeful when i was working and thinking through the vague anti-racist paradigm. anti-whiteism has helped me to see much more clearly how whiteness works which has resulted in much more insightful and transformative discussions about race with many different types of people--except, almost predictably, white leftists, especially men, who are so frequently convinced of their righteousness that they view anything that challenges their anti-racism as a threat. it is strange how so many otherwise thoughtful people are so freaked out about challenging an identity that has no culture content (is there anybody on this list who is ready to join some of the wackier militia groups and revel in the wonders of white culture like white food and white art and white spirituality or white music, white literature, etc. i dare anybody...). indeed, that is the evidence of the power of whiteness.
the challenge now is to develop an anti-white politics that is a part of a larger anti-capitalist/pro-democracy insurgency.
> rather than merely my bleak outlook. What I speak of *may* happen, though I
> won't hold my breath, while what you speak of belongs to fantasy.
why? where's the proof that what i am saying is fantasy (as opposed to demanding some very creative hard work)?if there is no hope for white folks shedding their whiteness in struggle (and i might add that white folks ain't the only ones with whiteness problems: see "The Karma of Brown Folks"), then we are all fucked on ALL fronts...
> There will be no revolutionary movement in the U.S. except one organized around
> the fight against white and male supremacy within the working class -- which in
> turn depends on a strong and independent black movement. I'm not saying that
> will happen -- I'm just saying that no other route to revolution is possible. I'm
> not saying that revolution is possible (and whether it is desirable or not is a
> merely academic question) but only that it is necessary for human survival.
yeah, sort of, except the days of an "strong, independent black movement" are finished...which is to say that the best 'leadership' for the new freedom struggle is more likely top come out of what is called the black community and that it will need to aim at cancelling the old racial contradictions (which poisons all worthy revolutionary efforts) so that we might fight authoritarian power more effectively.
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> I don't really take a very cheerful view of the future.
well i suppose that there is no obvious reason to.
but give some anti-white thoughts a test run. you might be pleasently surprised!
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> Carrol
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>