While people seem to be able to separate government from the people when it is about the “West” (e.g., U.S. Empire ≠ U.S. students), when it comes to countries outside of the “western” imperial core even people in the political left often lump together leaders with their people (e.g., thinking that Northern Koreans are spys or defectors).
In fact, “western” imperialist thinking that encourages people not able to make this discernment when it comes to states, countries, or even organizations. It is colonial thinking that leads people to believe in a binary and individualist system of good or bad, or even that anything or anyone can be all good or all bad. It is also colonial thinking to believe that there is only one right way to get to liberation.
Not every entity needs to hold all of the exact values to reach the same goal. Certainly, this is at times strategic and helpful. We must be able to hold multiple truths at once. AND ALSO.
We must hold a robust understanding of the layers of a state, country, people, and purpose. Are we building forward AND ALSO heeding and witnessing what is happening with those most impacted while we are building?
While we forge forward together are we still considering the actual changing needs of the People within these states, countries, and organizations?
Colonial thinking prevents us from seeking out the voices of the people on the ground that have been shouting at us for support but go unheard because leadership may happen to do something that supports a shared cause such as the ceasefire.
Yes, yes! We must fight for Palestine together AND ALSO, we must simultaneously understand that overlap of purpose may be a means to, but not equal to collective liberation.
Imagine if people unilaterally sided with the UK because they didn’t one time didn’t vote against a ceasefire. Imagine if people decided to favor Trump because he was not pro-Israel, without understanding that the main reason for this is because he is antisemitic.
Just because an entity happens to fall into place beside you that does not mean they are actually fully aligned. Can we shift that and divert it to momentum toward justice? Often, yes.
AND ALSO, just because an entity happens to side with you that does not mean they are actually fully aligned. let us always dig deeper into history, organizing, and longitude. There is much more to it. Let us listen to the voices of the people even WITHIN the people that are telling us what they need and have for so long.
We must keep our thinking sharp. And we will need it sharper even more soon.
Remember we need to get out of binary individualist unidimensional thinking. That is precisely what got us here under Empire in the first place.
So, let us deepen our thinking and sharpen our strategy. We need expansive infinite creative imaginative thinking for liberation.
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