“Eating the Apple of the World” - Social Investigation and Class Analysis with Dani Manibat
Jul 13, 2024
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Dani Manibat, an organizer in the National Democratic Movement in the Philippines, talks about the importance of social investigation and class analysis from a Marxist perspective. They delve into understanding societal classes, critique of science, representation of black and LGBT individuals in media, class rejectionism, and revolutionary perspectives on gay marriage in the Philippines.
Understanding social investigation and class analysis is crucial for revolutionary work in the National Democratic Movement in the Philippines.
Regular assessment and collective analysis are essential for capturing ongoing social changes and gaining insights into class struggles.
The nuanced interplay between class structures and societal proxies impacts various aspects, from community gangs to artistic expression.
Deep dives
Overview of National Democratic Movement in the Philippines
The podcast episode delves into the National Democratic Movement in the Philippines, focusing on themes of socialism, anti-imperialism, and anti-monopoly capitalism. It highlights the influence of Marxist, Leninist, and Mao Zedong's thought within the movement and emphasizes the importance of social investigation and class analysis in revolutionary work.
Practical Approach to Social Investigation and Class Analysis
The episode discusses the significance of social investigation and class analysis from a practical standpoint. It underscores the importance of understanding the general flux and motion in society to capture the ongoing social changes. It also stresses the need for regular assessment, data gathering, and collective analysis to gain insights into social forces and class struggles.
Understanding Class Articulation and Alignment
The concept of class articulation and alignment is explored in the episode, highlighting how different proxies and activities within society are affiliated with specific classes. It explains how class articulation guides various ideological perspectives and societal dynamics, showcasing the intricate relationship between class divisions and the articulation of different social, gender, and cultural aspects.
Application of Class Analysis in Real-Life Contexts
The discussion extends to real-life examples, illustrating how class analysis and articulation manifest in everyday scenarios. Examples include the complexities of class alignment in community gangs and the articulation of gender, race, and spirituality within different class contexts. It emphasizes the nuanced interplay between class structures and societal proxies in diverse settings.
The Impact of Corporate Ownership on Artistic Expression
Artists like Kendrick Lamar and Drake, despite their cultural influence, are owned by massive corporations, influencing their creative output. In contrast, the independent artist Macklemore was able to release a song in solidarity with Palestine because he wasn't constrained by mainstream labels. The podcast discusses how artists navigate the balance between cultural authenticity and industry pressures, highlighting the impact of corporate ownership on artistic expression.
The Need for Comprehensive Class Analysis in Revolutionary Movements
The episode delves into the concept of 'class rejectionism' as a response to rigid Marxist ideologies, emphasizing the importance of understanding class beyond traditional production relations. It explores the erroneous interpretations within historical communist movements, such as the Soviet Union, where class issues were oversimplified. By advocating for a nuanced approach to class struggle, the podcast underscores the significance of reexamining societal structures to achieve true liberation and revolution.
In this episode we welcome Dani Manibat to the podcast.
Dani Manibat is an organizer in the National Democratic Movement in the Philippines and this article was written for the journal Material. Recently we hosted another conversation with J. Moufawad-Paul on Settler Ideology on our YouTube channel.
A little bit about Material from their website:
“Material’s editorial framework is guided by a Maoist perspective, and so, this journal is a platform for contending schools of thought with non-antagonistic contradictions—for revolutionary communist thought: the kind of thinking that agrees capitalism cannot be reformed, that actual revolutionary work is required, and that collaboration with any kind of liberal or conservative thinking is exactly that, collaboration.”
From the article description: “This essay is an ongoing product of discussions and conferences among Filipino Marxist and national democratic youth organizers as we attempt to deepen our understanding of Social Investigation and Class Analysis (SICA) work. It is in this light that not only is there a necessity to underline the importance of SICA work for the Filipino youth, but also to give some pointers on what to look for, what to watch out for, as well as have theoretical discussions on social classes.”
I’ll add that this conversation and the essay work well together, you can get more of the theory behind SICA and how one might think about the process perhaps from the essay itself, where as here we have a wider ranging conversation on practice and some examples of how these things might look in the day to day.
There is a portion of the conversation where Dani references a graphic, I will note that section when we get there. I have uploaded the video from that section of the interview so people can see the graphic that Dani is describing as he is talking about that. And I will link that in the show notes.
