Marxism-Leninism and the theory of settler-colonialism in the United States
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To put it as plainly as possible, if the proponents of the U.S. settler-colonialism theory are correct, then there is no basis whatsoever upon which to build a multinational working class communist party in this country. Indeed, such a view sees the “settler working class” as instruments of colonialism, hostile to the interests of the colonized people, rather than viewing all working and oppressed people as natural allies in the struggle against imperialism, our mutual oppressor.

A shame, a sad sad shame. For anyone that’s read settlers, or knows about the history of labor zionism, or prioritizes any kind of indigenous voice in their praxis, this is really bad. No peace for settlers! Settlers cannot lead the revolution! I hope we see an end to any respect given to this “settler colonialism is over” politic soon.

  • redtea@lemmygrad.ml
    8·
    9 days ago

    It is muddied, I agree. The question is who maintains those policies and by what processes of production and reproduction. Legislators don’t achieve anything by writing a new policy or law; it takes thousands to carry out their will, either consciously or accidentally.

    Two other important points are that (1) settler isn’t necessarily a permanent description—settlers can choose a different path—and (2) in the US context, settler-coloniser involves internal and external relations (in terms of inside and outside the US)—being a US settler means e.g. demanding a redistribution of wealth to provide social services and healthcare without acknowledging that most of that wealth flows in from the periphery and much of the ‘domestic’ wealth creation is clever ‘value added’ accounting.

    Doing something about the problem is a quick way of negating the description of settler even for those who objectively and clearly fit it (e.g. middle managers in arms factories, officers in the military, the police, and haute bourgeois ranchers on the border of reserves). Things that can be done:

    • reading revolutionary theory and educating others about necessary changes
    • organising to prevent the continued pollution of and resource extraction on land that is still clearly designated as native land
    • going on strike over issues of institutional racism and/or imperialism
    • getting involved in prison abolition
    • not voting for and therefore supporting the very people responsible for no tolerance policing in racially targeted zipcodes
    • getting written signatures on a petition to fairly fund schools
    • attending government meetings and repeatedly asking, ‘what about reparations’
    • striking in solidarity with workers in the global south who are in the same value chain as one’s industry
    • not compromising on shipping weapons when one’s transport union is on the verge of winning a pay rise
    • campaigning against the interference of US capital in other countries
    • doing anything to oppose the US military industrial complex

    There are a lot of ongoing manifestations and practices of settler colonialism. It’s difficult to pick out and articulate the role of specific individuals who are settlers but it’s not impossible to consider the system as a whole and then analyse any individual’s or group’s position/role in the system.