- 17 May 2015 20:13
#14557753
So, a subject that I've been thinking about a lot lately is ethnic struggles, or post-colonial cultural struggles within developed countries (name it as you wish), and I wish better my understanding of the subject thorough socialist lens. I write this post both to discuss the subject and ask if someone knows of any (preferably Marxist) sources dealing with the matter, so I can both further my knowledge and perhaps translate a few for my peers.
My interest probably grew due to this being one of the hottest subjects within Israel today (at least within my circles), especially after the last elections when the right-wing (which the "Mizrahi" folk, essentially Arabic Jews, are perceived as its prime supporters) got the upper hand, leaving the left wingers (which the "Ashkenazi" folk, essentially European Jews, are perceived as its prime supporters) quite grudged. This public discussion on the matter quickly deteriorated into quite ugly (and racist) lines on behalf of both sides, ranging from cries to stop all support for the (much poorer) peripheral regions as "punishment" to both sarcastic and not-so-sarcastic proposals to create two separate states just for us Jews.
But this discussions also re-hyped the discussion regarding the long cultural and economic oppression of the Mizrahi Jews, and I believe we are witnessing a sort of "Mizrahi Renaissance", which started a long while back but is getting stronger every day, ranging from the revisiting of Arabic roots to creating a rebellious "anti-culture" somewhat reminiscent to similar historical (and contemporary) currents in African-american culture. But enough about Israel.
The matter which I wish to discuss in the connection between the struggle of oppressed ethnic groups to preserve (and recreate) their unique culture and identity and the general class struggle. In many historical cases there might seem to be a contradiction between the two, such in the case above. Namely, ethnic issues are often used to manipulate the working class, obscuring the actual economic issues and even convincing the oppressed workers that Marxism and socialism are "alien", "foreign" and, ultimately, "white". Again, as an example, Israel is classic case as the Labor party, which in some cases (admittedly not all cases) is one of the few parties in Israel to try and defend against the very same neo-liberal forces which are killing the Mizarahi population, is perceived as "white" and defending white interests.
But I feel there is also a revolutionary spark in the ethnic struggle. While the focus on racial and ethnic oppression is somewhat misguided (technically speaking) and the "real" or deeper forces oppressing the working class have nothing to do with race (profit is colorblind), and are purely economic, their manifestations are at many cases ethnically charged (one might even say its part of the system of obscuring the economic reality of capitalism). Cultural hegemony, colonial relations, slums and ghettos, these are all social structures that are present and liberal nations and have a deep connections to the capitalist mode of production, but the "little person" experiences them as ethnic or racial issues. What I'm, trying to say is that ethnic struggle is deeply connected to class struggle and I believe it should therefore be embraced, and from within it a wider, proletarian movement can be built.
Why embrace it? Well, as I see it, the attempt to not only defend but revitalize a local (as in specific, communal) and historical culture, not to mention fuse it with themes of modern oppression, and recreate a local and independent ethnic identity, seems to me like one of the most important rebellious acts in opposition to the globalized culture being sold by the neo-liberal global market. More so, I believe that the required conditions for creating class consciousness can be met exactly by such cultural action: creating organic local culture as a trigger for the growth of strong communal bonds that can evolve into unions and worker parties.
I'd be glad to hear opinions on the matter, or be given additional sources that deal with the connections between ethnic struggle and class consciousness, as I wrote above, if anyone knows of any.
My interest probably grew due to this being one of the hottest subjects within Israel today (at least within my circles), especially after the last elections when the right-wing (which the "Mizrahi" folk, essentially Arabic Jews, are perceived as its prime supporters) got the upper hand, leaving the left wingers (which the "Ashkenazi" folk, essentially European Jews, are perceived as its prime supporters) quite grudged. This public discussion on the matter quickly deteriorated into quite ugly (and racist) lines on behalf of both sides, ranging from cries to stop all support for the (much poorer) peripheral regions as "punishment" to both sarcastic and not-so-sarcastic proposals to create two separate states just for us Jews.
But this discussions also re-hyped the discussion regarding the long cultural and economic oppression of the Mizrahi Jews, and I believe we are witnessing a sort of "Mizrahi Renaissance", which started a long while back but is getting stronger every day, ranging from the revisiting of Arabic roots to creating a rebellious "anti-culture" somewhat reminiscent to similar historical (and contemporary) currents in African-american culture. But enough about Israel.
The matter which I wish to discuss in the connection between the struggle of oppressed ethnic groups to preserve (and recreate) their unique culture and identity and the general class struggle. In many historical cases there might seem to be a contradiction between the two, such in the case above. Namely, ethnic issues are often used to manipulate the working class, obscuring the actual economic issues and even convincing the oppressed workers that Marxism and socialism are "alien", "foreign" and, ultimately, "white". Again, as an example, Israel is classic case as the Labor party, which in some cases (admittedly not all cases) is one of the few parties in Israel to try and defend against the very same neo-liberal forces which are killing the Mizarahi population, is perceived as "white" and defending white interests.
But I feel there is also a revolutionary spark in the ethnic struggle. While the focus on racial and ethnic oppression is somewhat misguided (technically speaking) and the "real" or deeper forces oppressing the working class have nothing to do with race (profit is colorblind), and are purely economic, their manifestations are at many cases ethnically charged (one might even say its part of the system of obscuring the economic reality of capitalism). Cultural hegemony, colonial relations, slums and ghettos, these are all social structures that are present and liberal nations and have a deep connections to the capitalist mode of production, but the "little person" experiences them as ethnic or racial issues. What I'm, trying to say is that ethnic struggle is deeply connected to class struggle and I believe it should therefore be embraced, and from within it a wider, proletarian movement can be built.
Why embrace it? Well, as I see it, the attempt to not only defend but revitalize a local (as in specific, communal) and historical culture, not to mention fuse it with themes of modern oppression, and recreate a local and independent ethnic identity, seems to me like one of the most important rebellious acts in opposition to the globalized culture being sold by the neo-liberal global market. More so, I believe that the required conditions for creating class consciousness can be met exactly by such cultural action: creating organic local culture as a trigger for the growth of strong communal bonds that can evolve into unions and worker parties.
I'd be glad to hear opinions on the matter, or be given additional sources that deal with the connections between ethnic struggle and class consciousness, as I wrote above, if anyone knows of any.
"My heart is in the east, and I in the uttermost west" -Yehudah HaLevi