Hey all,
I’m currently developing a Marxist-Leninist analysis of settler colonialism, especially in light of the situation in Palestine, and am going to read Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat by J. Sakai for the first time. Before I do I was just curious what other comrades think of the book and its analysis? It seems a pretty controversial text among many online Marxist groups, to whatever extent that matters, but as an Indigenous communist I feel having a clear and principled stance on the settler question is important for all serious communists. I’m not sure if I’ll agree with Sakai specifically, but since I generally agree with the opinions of y’all, I was curious as to your thoughts on the book.
I referenced one of your links in my reply. Just because you post something doesn’t mean everyone has to agree with it, and disagreeing doesn’t mean someone didn’t understand what you wrote.
This is what I disagree with. I see no rationale here, and I explained why (we have to start from where we are, not where we would like to end up, and tons of people have legitimate interests in land they don’t live on in the most literal sense of the word).
I saw where you referenced the link. Average people don’t own any land so it’s only the bourgeois that will have reason to complain. Recall the part of the communist manifesto where Marx clarifies that private property is already abolished for 99% of people so abolition of private property would bring nothing but good to the masses. Decolonization does not mean they will cut off our food supply or slaughter us. Recall it was they who welcomed the first settlers before they got stabbed in the back. Settlers are the genocidal ones. They do not want to genocide us back. It’s annoying how settlers constantly assume this and decolonial Marxists have to clarify this point. Never have I heard an unironic call for white genocide. For land, decolonization will mean a lot of rewilding according to indigenous stuardship. There will be drastic cuts in animal agriculture as it takes up a great amount of land and emissions, but that would happen whether socialism is with indigenous leadership or not if we want to survive climate change. Great swaths of industrial monocrops are grown solely for the purpose of feeding animals. For settlers this black and native leadership would simply mean adopting healthier plant based diets and improved wildlife and environment for settlers. It also means public transportation instead of cars, which is necessary but may be hard at first. We will have workers democracy internally and some representation, but we are lucky to be allowed any seat at the table after what our people has done.
As you should be able to tell this is normal socialism but we are making sure the land goes to whom it belongs. It should be no harder to convince people of if not easier as it appeals far more to those who are specially oppressed under Amerikkkan capitalism.
Also, on the bit about everything having failed so we’re practically back at square one. The Black Panthers were about the closest we’ve gotten to revolution and they failed because new counter intelligence tactics were used. We know how to combat those better now. We also can take advantage of new advances in the Palestinian and South African struggles. The US will be at its weakest in a while in the coming years as it’s economy is based on imperialism while the periphery drifts away. We have a chance at decolonial socialism here, and frankly it may be our only shot at avoiding total barbarism.