Global Palestine Politics Ep. 1 w/ Richard Seymour
Nov 15, 2023
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Richard Seymour, expert on global politics of the Palestinian struggle and Israel's war on Gaza, discusses the influence of factors on the mass response against Israel, the role of the nation state in revolutionizing society, and the contradiction between the public and political class. The chapter explores the recent protests in support of Palestine, highlighting their magnitude, frequency, and global nature.
National liberation movements are often democratic and universalist, seeking to establish a state that respects equal rights for all, reflecting a critique of imperialism and the understanding that ruling classes depend on oppression structures.
The Democratic Party is experiencing a contradiction between its voter base's critical stance on Israel and Palestine and its officials' uniform support for Israel, highlighting the shifting ground beneath political leaders who are stuck in outdated assumptions about public opinion.
Support for the state of Israel by Western governments, rooted in historical and geopolitical factors, reflects a prioritization of the interests of capital and imperialism over democratic credentials, disregarding growing critical public opinion on Israel and Palestine.
Deep dives
The Resilience of Nationalism in Anti-Colonial Struggles
National liberation struggles have historically played a crucial role in socialist, left-wing, and labor politics. The nation-state has been the form in which democratic aspirations have materialized throughout history. However, imperialism adds a different dimension to the struggles. National liberation movements are often democratic and universalist, seeking to establish a state that respects equal rights for all. Supporting these struggles also reflects a critique of imperialism and an understanding that one's own ruling class depends on that structure of oppression. While nationalism is not the ideal political form to revolutionize society, it is often a necessary organizing step towards liberation. Ultimately, the goal should be to move beyond the nation-state and envision non-national ways of organizing global politics.
The Explosion of the Democratic Party Base Against Zionist Officials
The Democratic Party is experiencing a contradiction between a significant portion of its voter base and its elected officials when it comes to Israel and Palestine. While the party's base is increasingly critical of Israel's actions and demands a ceasefire, the party's officialdom, with the exception of progressive voices like 'the squad,' remains uniformly Zionist. This contradiction highlights the shifting ground beneath the feet of political leaders who are stuck in outdated assumptions about public opinion regarding Israel and Palestine. It also demonstrates a disregard for the growing negative public reaction, even if it could impact the party's electoral prospects. This phenomenon is not limited to the US and can be seen in other countries like the UK, where establishment reactions against Jeremy Corbyn's stance on Israel reflected similar tensions between the base and elected officials.
The Resilience of Israeli Support from Western Governments
Support for the state of Israel from Western governments, such as the US and the UK, stems from historical and geopolitical factors. The US, for instance, has invested massive amounts of money into the Israeli military for decades and has built a political coalition around being pro-Israel. This support has become deeply ingrained in American statecraft and is linked to broader social, cultural, ideological, and economic dimensions. While public opinion on Israel and Palestine may be increasingly critical, governments, particularly on the bourgeois side, prioritize the interests of capital and the structures of imperialism. They have been willing to sacrifice democratic credentials to maintain their imperialist policies, including support for Israel. The same pattern can be seen in other Western countries, such as the UK, where political establishments have strongly resisted critiques of Israel and have often demonized those who challenge the status quo.
The Durability of the Nation-State for Capitalism
Capitalism has perpetuated the grid of national states, leading to the durability of the nation-state. The uneven international development of capital and the competitive struggle for expansion and survival among capitalists make a unified global state unrealistic. The nation-state offers a sense of unity and transparent relationship between the people and the state. It provides a form of collectivity that is otherwise prohibited in the neoliberal era, where individual self-interest prevails. Despite its destructive nature, the nation-state remains vital for capitalism as it organizes the concrete structures of accumulation.
Nationalism, Nation-State, and Violence
The nation-state offers the allure of violence, cruelty, and sadism. It generates fantasies of neighborly hate, external and internal enemies, and the control of national memory. These constellations are not unrelated to the expression of class interests within nations. Nationalism, though often criticized, has played a pivotal role in national liberation movements and working-class struggles. At the same time, it is a fundamentally positional question. The nation-state serves as a dispenser of violence, perpetuated by imperial swirl systems and colonial legacies. Nationalism also obscures conflicts within the American Jewish community over Israel and the meaning of Jewish identity in America. The recent mass protests in solidarity with Palestine demonstrate a global movement challenging the violence of the nation-state.
Featuring Richard Seymour on the global politics of the Palestinian struggle and Israel's war on Gaza. The first of a two-part interview.
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