On 11/7/19 4:15 AM, Prof David West wrote:
Or violence. Ad hoc, then systematic.
On Violence: A Comparison of Georges Sorel & Frantz Fanon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNLN3anBByY
(Parentheticals reflect my inability to transcribe what he's saying.)
"In the context of the colonial dispensation, Fanon saw violence on the part of
the oppressed masses not only as necessary, but also as therapeutic. For him, violence
was an act of pure (?) catharsis, because it was through the unceremonious imposition of
violence that the oppressed masses were stripped of their freedom and dignity. And only
through the judicious counter use of violence can the rights be restored. In Fanon's
view, the spilling of the blood of the hated conqueror was analogous to the spilling of
the blood of the sacrificial lamb. It had redemptive value. (confused stumbling) There
can be no redemption without the shedding of blood. For all these reasons, therefore, the
spilling, or to be more precise, the lavish spilling of the blood of the conqueror is the
sine qua non for the liberation of the oppressed masses." So it's only through
violence that the oppressed can discover themselves and their lost humanity, the humanity
that's been denied. And with the killing of the oppressor, it becomes quite evident to
the oppressed that the oppressor can bleed.
The somewhat ad hoc violence being used by rent-seekers like Trump and his
fascist followers is being met with somewhat judicious violence being used by
others like antifa. As Steve points out in his last post, whether the more
judicious uses of violence will work or not depends on the depth of their
strategies.
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