Savant's Words

The observation in your opening sentence is spot on. Frantz Fanon after a mission in West Africa prodded traditionalist elements within the Algerian NLF, demanding to know why many of them wanted to sequester women despite the invaluable public roles Algerian women were playing in the Revolution. When they appealed to Islamic traditions, he retorted that he had just been to Guinea, Mali and Senegal where African women are to be found in the marketplace, in public life operating quite freely. Those women--and their MEN--are all Muslims! At one point he angirly retorted "Do you REALLY want a REVOLUTION, or do you just want to get rid of the French. There is a difference, you know!" -Savant


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As is often the case, I think that the term "Nazi" is used a bit too loosely by you. But with regard to France, there's NO CHANCE in hell that the Islamic reactionaries can take power in France. That is danger I fear for our brethren in the Middle East. Real fascism fashioned out of the clothe of the most reactionary elements in Western culture is POSSIBLE in the West. As far as OUR own freedom and security in America or Europe, Muslim extremist frighten me on account of the fact that those loons down mind setting off a car bomb or some other loony act. I'm NOT afraid that they will form an Islamicist fascist state in America or Europe. But their sporadic acts of violence may instigate increasingly repressive measures by our own ruling class. The erosion of democratic liberties can mean fascism. Theocratic fascism of the Islamic sort can't happen here, in France, or any other part of Europe. It can't happen in Latin America. Only our beleaguered neighbors in the Middle East are confronted with that. And I have little doubt that our fascists and theirs may end up collaborating hand-in-glove. Now as far as attacks on the Jewish PEOPLE are concerned (or ANY people for that matter), it absolutely cannot be tolerated. As far as the state of Israel is concerned, I see it as like any other national state. It has a right to exist, but is as subject to criticism--includi ng at times quite harsh criticism---as any other state. No more, no less. Just as I do not consider the criticism of Black African or Caribbean state as automatically an expression of anti-Black racism (even if that is a motivation of SOME critics), I do not consider criticisms of Israel as automatically anti-Semitic (though that's a motivation of SOME of its critics) No one--not Jew, Arab, Black, white, Latin, male, female, gay or straight--gets an automatic pass. And yet the rights of EVERYONE must be held as inviolable.


-Savant

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One thing I think we need to promote as part of the revolutionary process is the formation of communes and cooperatives. That is, we need to begin creating cooperative institutions which become the negation of capitalism even before capitalism is utterly vanquished. Cooperatives can only exist by means of democratic governance. And they're accessible to poor, working class and middle class folk.

 -Savant

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Je pense que jihadisme politique est un type de fascisme, mais il n'est pas un sort de fascism qui peux gagner pouvoir a l'Europe ou l'Amerique. Le fascisme dans un societe depends on cultural traditions native to that country. Hence Mussolini could invoke the Roman Empire or the Crusades, Franco invokes great Spanish kings and symbols of right wing Catholicism, Hitler invokes images of Teutonic knights, etc. Jihadisme would invoke cultural symbols native to the Muslim world. If fully empowered politically it would be a Middle Eastern form of fascism. A l'Europe l'image de l'Islam militant would be invoke to create the fear that would make more possible a Western fascism. In short, Islam would serve a purpose somewhat like Communism decades ago--justification for chilling dissent and possibly establishing fascism in the West.


-Savant

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By the way, you might find interesting the Sept. 15, 2014 edition of THE NATION. Special edition on "The Fight for Racial Justice." Take note of the interview ofAngela Davis, and the article by Paula Giddings called "Unfinished Revolutions." And there is talk of the "Dream Defenders" and other youthful groups engaged in activism. As you're only 30 you might fit in well with these millennial insurgents. I have worked with youth groups like the ALGEBRA PROJECT, and have been asked to support a young activist group called LEADERS OF A BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE. Some of my students (including members of our Philosophy Club) are becoming increasingly active. I commend you younger freedom fighters. May you live and PROSPER, and at least SOME of us middle age folk got your back. -Savant
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Probablement, l'Islam militant est le pretext pas le cause of le fascisme europeean. Si les Mussulmans depart, les reactionaires de l'Europe would find another enemy. Le meme chose a L'Amerique. Les hispanique ne son't pas Mussulman. Et beaucoup des immigres a l'Europe ne sont pas Mussulmans. Democracies must remain secular---non a politique religieuse! Mais resistance au jihadisme must not become an excuse pour haine de Mussulmans--or anyone else! Haine l'oppression seulement. Mais nous AVONS avoir un fraternite parmis tous les peuples de la terre. "What we want to do all the time, night and day, is to go forward in the company of Man, in the company of ALL men."--Frantz Fanon -Savant _____________________