Slavoj Žižek - Pandemic! 2

The same argument applies to many disputed political figures. Yes, Thomas Jefferson had slaves and opposed the Haitian Revolution, but he laid the politico-ideological foundations for later Black liberation. And in a more general view, yes, in invading the Americas, Western Europe did cause maybe the greatest genocide in world history—but European thought laid the politico-ideological foundation for us today to see the full scope of this horror. And it’s not just about Europe: yes, while the young Gandhi fought in South Africa for the equal rights of Indians, he ignored the predicament of Blacks—but he nonetheless brought to a successful conclusion the biggest ever anti-colonial movement. So, while we should be ruthlessly critical about our past (and especially the past that persists in our present), we should not succumb to self-contempt—respect for others based on self-contempt is always and by definition false. The paradox is that in our societies, the whites who participate in anti-racist protests are mostly upper-middle class whites who hypocritically enjoy their guilt. Maybe, these protesters should learn the lesson of Frantz Fanon who certainly cannot be accused of not being radical enough:

Every time a man has contributed to the victory of the dignity of the spirit, every time a man has said no to an attempt to subjugate his fellows, I have felt solidarity with his act. In no way does my basic vocation have to be drawn from the past of peoples of color. […] My black skin is not a repository for specific values. […] I as a man of color do not have the right to hope that in the white man there will be a crystallization of guilt toward the past of my race. I as a man of color do not have the right to seek ways of stamping down the pride of my former master. I have neither the right nor the duty to demand reparations for my subjugated ancestors. There is no black mission; there is no white burden. […] Am I going to ask today’s white men to answer for the slave traders of the seventeenth century? Am I going to try by every means available to cause guilt to burgeon in their souls? […] I am not a slave to slavery that dehumanized my ancestors. 6

If we reject the notion of the generalized guilt of white men, we should of course also show no tolerance for their continued Politically Correct racism, whose exemplary case is the infamous Amy Cooper video 7that was filmed in Central Park. As Russell Sbriglia commented,

the strangest, most jarring part of the video is that she specifically says—both to the black man himself before she calls 911 and to the police dispatcher once she’s on the phone with them—that “an African American man” is threatening her life. It’s almost as if, having mastered the proper, politically correct jargon (“African American,” not “black”), what she’s doing couldn’t possibly be racist. 8

Instead of perversely enjoying our guilt (and thereby patronizing the true victims), we need active solidarity: guilt and victimhood immobilize us. Only when we all act together, treating ourselves and each other as responsible adults, can we beat racism and sexism.

1 1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/21/hundreds-run-riot-in-stuttgart-city-centre-after-drug-checks

2 2. https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/26/football/liverpool-fans-police-criticize-gathering-anfield-title-win-spt-intl/

3 3. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/27/toxic-mix-of-violence-and-virus-sweeps-poorest-countries-warns-war-reporter-lyse-doucet

4 4. http://www.cdep.ro/pls/proiecte/upl_pck2015.proiect?idp=18210

5 5. https://www.euronews.com/2020/06/17/romania-gender-studies-ban-students-slam-new-law-as-going-back-to-the-middle-ages

6 6. Frantz Fanon, Black Skin, White Masks (New York, NY: Grove Press, 2008), pp. 201–206.

7 7. https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/us/central-park-video-dog-video-african-american-trnd/

8 8. Private message from Russell Sbriglia.

Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.