Zionism vs. Black Nationalism

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Yoshie Furuhashi wrote:
>
>>I don't speak for Art, but it seems to me that it would diminish 
>>racial division if whites accepted blacks' right to 
>>self-determination, just as the division between Jews and 
>>Palestinians (and other Arabs) would diminish if Jews accepted 
>>Palestinians' right to self-determination.  Oppression that creates 
>>the oppressed group = negation.  Recognition of the oppressed's 
>>right to self-determination = negation of negation.  In a 
>>dialectical movement, it takes negation of negation to reach a 
>>higher synthesis.
>
>Hmm, but if a racial category was invented in the process of 
>oppression, then how is accepting that category negating it? Looks 
>to me more like a perverse reinforcement. The negation would be to 
>reject racial categorization altogether.
>
>Doug

Anti-discrimination legislation, affirmative action, reproductive 
choice, "gay marriage," etc. do not equal complete emancipation from 
oppressions, but they are concrete political steps in the right (or 
should I say left) direction.  Without making use of the categories 
created by oppressions, be they race, gender, sexuality, disability, 
nationality, or whatever, it is not possible for the oppressed to 
fight back.

While you may wish for a straight path to emancipation -- e.g. "we 
are all just human beings!" -- dialectics is perverse.  :->

Yoshie