Pankaj Mishra, an acclaimed Indian author, dives into the complexities of the Gaza conflict, weaving narratives of colonialism, morality, and history. He challenges conventional views, emphasizing themes of justice amidst tragedy. Alongside Simon Longstaff, ethics expert and director of The Ethics Centre, they explore the cyclical nature of oppression and the moral dilemmas faced by marginalized groups. The discussion also touches on reparations and the necessity of ethical restraint, encouraging a reevaluation of entrenched narratives to foster dialogue and coexistence.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Mishra's Early Israeli Fascination
Growing up in India, Pankaj Mishra admired Moshe Dayan without yet knowing Israeli history or the Holocaust.
Meeting Palestinian students later revealed to him the harsh realities of displacement and statelessness tied to Israel's formation.
insights INSIGHT
Holocaust Memory as Politics
Israeli leaders deliberately shaped the Holocaust memory into a political tool to unify a diverse population.
The narrative justified expansionism and depicted neighboring Arabs as potential Nazis to legitimize security measures.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Primo Levi's Struggle with Memory
Primo Levi survived Auschwitz and later struggled with the commercialization and politicization of Holocaust memory in the U.S.
He faced criticism that diminished his Jewish identity, which deeply affected his later life and views.
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Frantz Fanon's "The Wretched of the Earth" is a seminal work of postcolonial theory that explores the psychological and social effects of colonialism on colonized peoples. Fanon argues that colonialism creates a system of oppression that dehumanizes and alienates the colonized, leading to violence and resistance. He analyzes the role of violence in the struggle for liberation, emphasizing its necessity in breaking the cycle of oppression. The book also examines the process of decolonization, highlighting the need for a complete transformation of society and the creation of new forms of social and political organization. Fanon's work remains highly influential in discussions of colonialism, decolonization, and the ongoing struggle for racial and social justice.
The Origins of Totalitarianism
Hannah Arendt
In this seminal work, Hannah Arendt explores the historical and philosophical roots of totalitarianism. The book is structured into three essays: 'Antisemitism', 'Imperialism', and 'Totalitarianism'. Arendt examines the rise of anti-Semitism in 19th-century Europe, the role of European colonial imperialism, and the emergence of totalitarian movements in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. She argues that totalitarianism is a novel form of government that differs from other forms of political oppression by its use of terror to subjugate mass populations and its aim for global domination. The book also delves into the mechanics of totalitarian movements, including the transformation of classes into masses, the role of propaganda, and the use of terror to maintain control[2][4][5].
The World After Gaza
A History
Pankaj Mishra
The Drowned and the Saved
Primo Levi
For the past 18 months, Israel's war in Gaza has polarised the world. The Indian author and essayist Pankaj Mishra reckons with the conflict through the lens of colonialism, morality and history.
Pankaj MishraAuthor, The World After Gaza, From the Ruins of Empire and Age of Anger: A History of the PresentEssayist, New York Review of Books, London Review of Books, The New Yorker and more
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