Franz Fanon by Jazmine Ramirez

What stood out to you from Franz Fanon's work? OR What does, “Yes; but on the individual level, on the plane of human rights, what is fascism if not colonialism when rooted in a traditionally colonialist country," mean to you?

jramirez158_1 — 2025-03-10 07:55:49 UTC

2025-03-13 01:04:58 UTC

His radicalism could be seen as way too strong for some people but you cant have change without extreme action

2025-03-13 01:05:49 UTC

My biggest takeaway from Fanon's work is the idea that colonialism can only be ended through violence because of the violence thats needed to uphold the system at all

Irene N

2025-03-13 01:06:14 UTC

He’s saying that fascism and colonialism are the same because they both use violence and oppression to control people.

2025-03-13 01:06:42 UTC

To me those words mean that fascism and colonialism are both about control/oppression. When a country with a history of colonizing others turns to fascism, it's like they're taking those same tactics and using them on their own people. Both systems squash human rights and treat people unfairly to stay in power.

2025-03-13 01:06:57 UTC

It is true when you consider that Oxford's definition of fascism is "an extreme right-wing political system or attitude that is in favour of strong central government, aggressively promoting your own country or race above others, and that does not allow any opposition." What is colonialism except a promotion of Whiteness to the detriment of all other races/ethnicities? It destroys all other cultures, languages, social norms, etc. within it's control in place of the dominant colonial cultures and languages. Any fight against it is met with violence, i.e. Civil Rights Movement, TWLF strikes in Berkeley and SF State, etc.

2025-03-13 01:07:31 UTC

What the quote means to me is connects both fascism and colonialism with connections such as domination, suppression, and control of certain groups.

2025-03-13 01:08:00 UTC

The quote for me means that fascism is like colonialism in countries that have a history of taking over other places. Both fascism and colonialism hurt people's rights and freedoms. It says that both systems are wrong because they treat people badly and don't respect their basic rights.

2025-03-13 01:09:19 UTC

His emphasis on violence in liberation is interesting because I feel like approaching colonialism in a more pacifist way is presented as an ideal mode for getting freedom. In a way, it validates his idea that violence is necessary because the colonizer keeps people more submissive by making them believe violence isn't the answer, but violence can actually create change.