Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Aime Cesaire Discourse On Colonialism PT 1

    Uploaded by

    madihartahir
    5 views42 pages
    Aime Cesaire's classic: Discourse on Colonialism

    Original Title

    Aime Cesaire Discourse on Colonialism Pt 1

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document
    Aime Cesaire's classic: Discourse on Colonialism

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    5 views42 pages

    Aime Cesaire Discourse On Colonialism PT 1

    Uploaded by

    madihartahir
    Aime Cesaire's classic: Discourse on Colonialism

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 42
    DISCOURSE ON COLONIALISM, Aimé Chsaive ‘Translated by Jan Pink A POETICS OF ANTICOLONIALISM by bin DG. Kaley ® MONTHLY REVIEW PRESS Capit ©1972, 2000 Monthy Review rss Aig Reed inl pals Dic ar eb Pence Ain, Cope £1955 by Eos Pen Acie ary of Cons Ct Pub Dae nite Am. [Discourse alsin El azure on loin Ad Cénig ane by Joan Pala, A pow ofanclnilion / abn DG. ly aS ones A posi oan / Robin DG. Kelly — cou on coil / Aime Cee — Aa itech Al Cie Rese Dept ISBN 15867-0254 (pi) — ISBN [-8867.0246 (et) 1. Galanin 2.Colonie—Afi, 3. Povelnalion. Kaley Rabin DG ‘ats ofamicoslio, IL ThlePaeer of soi I Tie vst cats 200 B53 nnn cc Mon Rew Peat 122 War 7 Se New Yar NY 100 Painted Co {Contents} Robin DG. Kaley ‘A POETICS OF ANTICOLONIALISM ? Aismd Corsre ‘DISCOURSE ON COLONIALISN » Rend Depesre AN INTERVIEW WITH AIME CESARE » Notes os Unsraduson } A POETICS OF ANTIGOLONIALISM Robin D.G. Kelley ‘Airné Césir’s Dieu on Collin might be best described as declaration of war. Iwouldalmosecllitathird world manifesto.” bur hesitate because itis primarily a polemic agains the old order bereft of the kind of propositions and propasals shat generally ccompany manifsus. Yet, Dicoune speaks in revolutionary ca- dene, capiutng the sprit ofits age jst as Mane and Eagels did 102 years eater in their ile manifesto. Fst published in 1950 as iteous sur colnilisme, ic appeared just asthe ld empires were on the verge of elapse thanks in pareoa wold waraganst axiom thatle Europe in material spiritual, and philosophical shambles. Teast age of decolonization and revolt in Affi, Asia and Latin America, Five years cari, in 1945, black people from around the flobe gathered in Manchester, England for the Fifth Pan-Aftican Congest discuss the freedom and future of Alia Five yeas er, in 1955, representatives fom the Non-Aligned Nations gathered in Bandung, Indonesia, ro discuss thefeedom and future ofthe third ‘work. Mao's revolcion in China was year ol while the Ma ‘Mau in Kenya were just gearing up for an uprising aginst chit colonial masters, The French encountered insurrections in Algeria, “Tunisia, Morocco, Cameroon, and Madagascar, and sulfered a humiliating defeat by the Vet Minh a Dien Bien Phu. Revolt was inthe ai India the Philippines, Guyana, Egypt, Guaterals, South ‘Alcs, Alabama, Misisipp, Georgia, Halem, you nameit Revol! Malcolm X once described this exczordinary moment, this lng ‘ecade ffom the end ofthe Second World War w the late 1950s, Dom Colona is indisputably one of the key tet in this "dal wave” of anicolnialIneraare produced dung the posse period work chat include WEB. Du Bots Color and Dermerty (1945) and The Wold and Afice (1947) rant Fanon's ‘Black Skin, White Mask (1952), George Padmore’ Pan-Aficanion or Communism: The Coming Sragle for Afics (1986), Alber Memmi’s The Colomizer and the Colonized (1957), Richard Wright's White Man Lites (1957), Jeao-Pal Sates ex, “Back Or pha” (1948), and joumals uch as Pfc Aficaine and Aficen Revlon Like mich the radial lier produced during this epoch, Dixcourse places the colonial question front and center. is practically invisible, This is a book about colonialism, ‘onthe colonized, on culture, on history, on the very concept of ) = Fev eemertche leat abeimeergpe ))& vines. J) Tam king about natural economia that have been dsupted-— harmonious ad viable economize aap ro the indigenous pop Jaxon—about food cops detoyed,manution pemanenly introduced, agricultural development oriented solely toward the benefit ofthe mewopolian counties abou theloatngof product, the loting af aw materials “They pride theses on abuses lninated 1 to talc about abuses, bur what I sty is that on the old ces—very real—they have superimposed other—very detestable ‘They tlk to me about lal eyrant ought to reason; but | note that in general dhe ld tyrant gst on very wel with the new ones ad hat chere hasbeen esablishedbecwsen them to the deiment of the people, cic of mutual ences and compli 1 44 sxscourse on carom “They talktomeaboutchzason,[kaboutprolcarianiation and mysiicaon or my part I make a systematic defense of the non-European tlinaions Everyday tat pas, every denial of jai, very beating by the poe every demand ofthe workers tha drown blood, coer anal that shied up, every punitive expedition, every Police van, every gendarme and every milaman, brings home co tthe alc of url sci ‘They were communal societies, never societies of the many for Tce erence sid, butalo annie. \-They were democratic societies, always. “They wee cooperative oii, ternal soe 1 make 2 systematic defense of the societies destroyed by imperialism “They were the fc they did no pretend to be the ides: depite shy ye cro ed cna vere content In hem nr the word file no the word svctarhad any mening They kept hope ince. ‘Wheres hase ae the only words tha cn all ones, be zd eSeminar Hoe MY colonizaon pas tat naone dsp ‘ives tinea capa “This being dacs that in certain cies they preen to ave dicovered in mean “enemy of Europe” and a prophet ofthe sein the pre-European pa For my part I search in in for the place where I could have copresdsich views where Tver ndeveinated the importance AM cesune 45, ‘of Europe in the history of human thought where I ever preached a reswrof any kind: where Lever clam that tet could bea rea “The wth sthat Ihave sud something very diferent co wit that the grea historical raged of Aca hss been not so mach tha it ‘was too late in making contact wit the rest ofthe world the ‘manner in which haceontac wasbrought about that Europe began 10 “propagate” atime when i had fille int the hands ofthe ‘most unseupulous financiers ad captains of ndastys ha wae ‘our misforrne ro encounte hat particular Europe on ose path, and that Europe is responsible before che human community for thebighesthepofcopucinhisay. Tn another connection, in judging colonizarion, I have added that Europe has goten on very well indeed wih ll the loa feudal lords who agreed wo serve, woven a villinous complicity with hem, rendered thee tyranny more festive and more eflicieas, and chat ichasacrually ended to prolongarifcly thesia floc pasts in thee mos pernicious aspects. have uaa thsi something very diferente colo alse Baropehasgafied modern abuse ont ancient injustice hte race onto old inequaly ‘Thavif Lam aracked on she grounds of intent, mains that soln Farpe is hones in tng jus ts colonizing -activiny 4 postrriasi by- che obvious material progress that has been. achieve in certain fields under the colonial epims—since made ‘hargealwaysposible in itoryaselewheresinceno one knows ax what stage of material development these same counties would have heen if Europe had no intervened since the introduction of technology into Aca and Asa theiradminiseaive reorganization, ina word, ther “Europeanizaton,” was (ass proved by dhe example oF Japan) in no way ted wo che European apation: since the 46 scovsseoxcoronse Europeanisation ofthe non-European continents could have been accom tes than ude the hl of Europe Sic at ‘movement of Europeniation was in progress since wes one slowed down; sins in any case it mas dsorted by the Funopen s by the Europea [7 roof ha present isthe indigenous peoples of Aca and Asia who and colonial Europe which, Togo further, make no erst amy opinion that at the present time the barbarism of Wesem Europe has reached an inribly high eve, being ony surpassed far surpased itis rue by the barbarism ofthe United States And Tam po lking bout Fer, or the prison guard or the scene, iiabour the “sent ow” adios the ay; nocabou “The meni of he SS, othe gangster, bu about che respectable gone by, Léon Bly innocenly ca indig- ant over the face that swindler, perjurer, forges, ines and procures were given the responsibilty of bringing tothe Indies the example of Chuan vues.” ‘Weve made progees today iis the posses ofthe “Christan nme” who intigues—with no mall sucess—For the honor of sxiministering overseas tertories according o the methods of forges and torus. a 48 orscounse on conan sign tae cruly, mend, basenss, and corruption have sunk deep into the so ofthe European bourpenise J epeat hat am not king about Hider, or heSS,o pogroms, or summary executions. But about reaction caught unawares, 4 telex permite, apiece of enim tolerated. And if evidence i wanted, could mention a scene of cannibals hysteria that have been privilege ro wines in the French National Ascerbly. By Jove, my dear colleagues they sy), I take off my hat ro you (a cannibal’s ha, of course. Think of Ninety thousand dead in Madagnsca! Indochina ‘rumpled undesoot, crushed t bits, asassnated, ores brought back om the depts ofthe Midd Ages! And what a pec! The delicious shudder chat roused the doving depts. The wild pou Bidaul, looking ikea commusion wafer dipped in shit —unerous anu sanctimonious canals; Moutt—thecanitlim oshady dels and sonorous nonsense; Coste-Flset—the canna ofan nicked bea ab, a undeig ook Unforgetable, gentlemen! With ne phrases cold and sole 425 mummy's wrappings they ie up che Madagascan, With afer conventional words they stab him for you. The time it aes 0 wet your while, hey disembowel hi for you. Fine work! Nota drop ‘floc willbe wasted, The ones who drink ic aight, to the last drop. The ones ke Ramadi, who smear thei fces wih inthe manner of Sena? Fondiup-Erperberé who starches his mustache wih tthe wales ‘musache of an ancient Gaul, od Desjains bending over the ‘emanations fom the vat and intoxicating himself wich hem swith new wine, Violence! The violence of he weak. A significan hing ixisnot the heat ofcvlzaton that gins wo rtf. Ieis the heart, ecesune 49 ‘admit that as far as the health of Europe and civization is concerned, thes cries of "Kill ill” and "Let's see some blood,” belched forth by srembling old men and virtuous young mn educated by the Jesuit Fathers, make a much more disagrecable impcesion on me than the most sensational bank holdups that veut in Pars ‘And that, mind you is by no means an exception. On the contrary, bourgeois swinshness isthe rls, We've been ‘on its eal fora century. We listen fort, we ak it by supine, we sniff ic out, we fllow it lose i, ind i again, shadow it, and every day it i» more nauseatingly exposed, Ohl the racism of these _genelemen does not bother me.I do not become indignan over it merely examine it. aoc i, and thar all. Lam almost grateful vo ie for expresing self openly and appearing in broad daylight, asa sign. A sgn that che increpidl las which once sormed the Bastille, isnow hamstrung. Asign that i Fels self eo be moral. A sign that it fel itself wo bea corpse. And when the corpse stats to babble, you get tis sor of things ‘There was only roo much ensth in his Biss impale of che Europeans who, inh centro Calmbsrefied register low men the dae inabtans ofthe nw wel... One ena 28 upon the sage fran instne without rig the anathene ‘write 1 nots upon hissoul alone, ba eon ov theeornalfiom ished ‘And i's signed Joseph de Maire (That's what is ground out bythe mystical mil.) And then you get thie: rom the actions poine of view, 1 would look upan i ‘oforunat if there should bea very gr numa expanson of 50 piscounse ov coronas the yellow and bac demens which wou he dificult inate However ifthe soci ofthe utente ona duals bas, wth rang ea of lip band and cla of infin race sonfned tte obs labret tt leer ree woud fl 10 the pelo ad ack lanes In hic, soar, they would 0¢ be an inconvenience forthe deichocepalic lends bu an dance. emt be ft salve ne mere abnormal ‘hax the domeation foe hoe ote a: Ieee posible it icmay eapearin the faae in oe fet rancher. probably ven neil sha his wl happen if che simplistic volton dr not come abou inead—at ofa single spin rac, leveled out by selection. ‘That's what is ground ouc by dhe scietife mil, and is signed Lapouge, ‘And you also gc this (fom che literary mill his time): | om that Ts: believe mya sapere othe poor Baas of ‘he Mambo hr mate pride gad When aspen ‘man cess to lieve himsel’ super, he scaly exe 0 be peso... Whew asspero races bine nlf cen race, scully ett be ach ate And i's signed Paichatt-soldier-of- Afi, ‘Translate it into newspaper jargon and you get Faguee: ‘Theburarian ifthe same re. alr all the Roman and dhe (Grek, He it cousin, The yellow man, the Blick man is nor ue ‘cousin tall Here there iariferenc, areal distance, anny peat one an ehnlogit dstance Afr al iiation be mee et fen made expt by whites... fEurope becomes yo there wil cecnlybeaeresion, anew per ofdarknes and confsin, hat {another Midale Ages, AMecesane 51 [And then lower, always lower, to he bottom of the pix, lower than theshovelcan go, M Jule Romains ofthe Académie Francaise and the Revue des Deus Monde (it doesn’t mate, of cours, that IM. Farigoule changes his name once again and here calls himself Salsete fr the sake of convenience.) The essential things char M, Jules Romains goes so far as wo write this 1 am willing cary on dtcasion only with people who gee co pote he falling hypothesis Fane hatha on its metopo ‘aso en milion Blick, ve ors millon of ham in che valk of ‘he Garonne. Would ou aan populations ofthe Soutwes newt ave en touched by rac prejudice? Would hee nor have een she slightest approbenon fhe question had arisen of crning al powers foveo these Negros, chexoas of ve... Tone bad oppostene {row of se enety pute Blick... [wil not even censure our Negroes and Negese for chewing gum. Iwill only noe dat this movement haste fer of emphasing te jas, and shat he soins which come o mind evoke the equtrl forest athe ‘hance procean of the Paathena.. The black ace has oye produce, will eer pode, an nti, Savin, 2 Gnkrin One idiotic comparison for another since the prophet ofthe Rone des De Mone and ober places inves uso draw prs ‘pee “widely separate” things, may The permed, Nog that Taco think no one being mast ofhis fie sociation) tha is ‘oie has ss in common wih che ung of theca of Dodona— ‘even the vibrations ofthe caldron—than wih she baying of a Missouri ass ‘Once agin, Ispcmatcaly defend ou old Negro ceizatons they were courteous cvlzatons ‘Sot eal problem, you aio rezun o chem. Nol epeat ‘Wearenotmen or whom tis qusionf "sthero.”Forns.the 52 oiscourston coromaisy problem isnot o make a utopian and sei attempt topes the pa, butto go beyond Iesnoradadasciay atirewanereive sbeiety Tat we want ro revive. Welewe tars hoe thogeitrcntin Note eee colonial society that we wish o prolong, the most pus cation ‘thatever xed under thesun.lixancw society that wemustereate, wih the help of all ur brother des a mcg Fh wih athe rodiuctine power of madétn times, ware widh all the Facey. af Sade For some examples showing that this is posible, we an lack to Dine vier Union Buclet us reuun to M, Jules Romains: One cannot say tha che petty boureoishas eer read anything (On the contrary, he has ead everything, devoured evrything. (Only, his brain functions afier the fishion of certain elementary ‘ypes of digestive systems Ie filters And the te lets through only ‘what can nourish the thick skin ofthe bourgeois clear conscience, [Before theartival ofthe French nthe country, the Vietnamese were people ofan old culture, exquisite and refined, To recall this fact upsets the digestion of the Banque d'Indochine. Stare the forgering machine! ‘These Madagascins who are being romuted today, les than a century ago were poets, aris, adminiscaors? Shhh Kecp your lips buttoned And silence fll, silence as deep asa safe! Fare nately, there are sil the Negros. Ahl the Negroes! Le tall bout the Negroes! Allright, le’ tlle about them About the Sudanese empires? Abour the bronzes of Benin? ‘Shango seulprure? Tha’ ll ight with me; ic wll give usa change fiom all the sensationally bad ar dat adorns o many European ‘apis. About Afican musie. Why not? sMEcesune 93 ‘And about what the irs exposes sd, what they saw... Not those who fed a the company manger! But che Ub, the Marchi, he Pigs! And chen Frobenius! Se, you know who he was, Frobenius? And we ead together “Civilized eo the marrow of their ones! The idea ofthe barbaric Negro is a European ‘The petty bourgeois doesn’t want e hear any more. With ‘itch of his eas he Ricks the idea away. ‘The idea, an annoying By. ‘Therefore, comrade, you will hold as enemicr—Iofly, ucidly, consistently—not only saitic governors and greedy bankers, not ‘only prefects who torture and colonists who flog, noe only corrupe, chheckicking plivcians and subservient judges, bu likewise and for the same reason, venomous journals, goitrous academics, ‘wreathed in dollars and supidty, ethnographers who go in for ‘metaphysics, presumpruous Belgian theologians, chattering inel- lectus botn stinking out of dae thigh of Nirsche, he ateenalss, the embraces, the comupters, the back-slappers, the lovers of ‘exoticim, the dividers, the agrarian sociologists, the hoocwinkers, ‘thehoaxer, thehot-airantists, dhe humbugs, and in generayall those ‘who, performing this functions inthe sordid division of labor for the defense of Western bourgeoissociery, rin diverse ways and by infamous diversions to spit up the forces of Progress-—even if it ‘means denying the very possibile of Progress—all of them ook of si awecesine 55 capi of a, payor ry prone of pundtng ‘Sonn loft opel be al laren a St ten re len freuen aon “adipose deve oge i ale on dcr eden neon Ade Siecle wher peal ise ren i eee ier eionies once cfioe or Palsy acer nen oniins bes things tar er lighy penal sje wo hh ney “elvan 9 the bjeive scl impato vkthey perfor aswatchdog of sonal Talis sn [cece psy en fom ve iene dpi Reso is oe eee eee cerain wrest, ete heaps the anneal Sie bed iad ocpie tr dre ar neve bre gat top Seaton ar peo cline hw eer yin tcoperar dina dat Lcey enpal comer he pn of Falun come and an ony cme om me oe pce as es aes es the loge a of tc, ae a eat any oe om, Sheath cmquensa sor cane pogerbateame awh ta Tp inary ad Ble "Bae phinepinndiny sn ed onc bt ured ce crunch Hindu os heerlen weomenc ie “communi mace” nich ke Soccer te Neoa wood” vom the Kn or of cantan Ge me hing noe fom dar eo toe bu om al of em ot 56 exscounse on coon almotall—thie ale objet, hee chain, thc aie, depraved pasion fr reiwingto acknowledge any merit in the son-whit aces, expecially the blakeskinned rae, thr obsession ‘wich monoplizing all ory for ther wn ice, —From the psychologic, sacolgis ely heir views on *primitvsm,” thi igged investigations, their selFserving gener alizacons, cei tendentous speclstions, cei insistence on the ‘marginal, “separate” character of the non-whites, and —akhough ‘ach ofthese gendemen, inorder to impugn on higher authority the weakness of primitive thought, claims that hit ow eased om ‘he firme rationalism —theebsbsic repaiaton fo the sae of the cause, of Desartess statement the char f univers that “ean... found wholeandeniein each an,” and chat "where individuals ofthe same species are concerned, there maybe depees in respect oftheir acidencal quale, but sin cespect of thet forms, or natures” But let us nor go too qui. Ieis worthwhile to fallow a ew of these geelmen, 1 call not del ypon the cue of the historians, nether the Iisorians of colonization nor the Egypologins, The ase of che formerstoo obvious and asforthelate, he mechanism by which they elude hee readershas ben defnitvely taken party Sheikh ‘Anta Diop in his book Nations niger cute, the most daring book yet writen by a Negeo and one which will without question ‘yan importa pari the avakeing of Afica® Lets ater go back To M. Gouro, tobe ext. "Nee I say chat is fom aloty eight hatte eminent scholar surveys the native populitions, which “have taken no past inthe development of modem cence? And that cis no from theelfre ofthese populations, fiom dhe berating struggle, fom chit acceso $7 concrete fight fr life, freiom, and culeue thar he expects the salvation of the topical counties to come, but from the good colonizer—since the Law sates eategoriclly that “i ie cultural clement developed in non-topica region which re easing and will ensure the progress of the tropical regions towant a larger population and a higher civilization.” have uid that M. Gouro’s book contains some correct obser- vations: “The topical environment and che indigenous sci,” he writes, drawing up the balance sheet on colonization, “have salted fiom the introduction of techniques tha aril adapted 0 them, fiom cores, porter sevice, forced labor, slvery, from the ‘eansplnting of worker flom one egjon co another, sudden changes inthe biological envionment, and special new conditons that are les fivorable” ‘Afine record! The lok onthe university rector’ fice! The look ‘on the cabinet minister's face when he reads ha! Our Gout has slipped his leash: now we're infor i e's going eo ell everthing: he’s beginning: “The typical hoe countries find themselves faced ‘with the felling dilemma: economic stagnation and prowction of che natives or temporary economic developmen and regression ofthe natives” “Monsieur Gourou this is very serous! I'm giving you 2 solemn warning: inthis game i is your career whichis at seake.” So our Gourou chooses to back off and refain rom spec- Sng ha, if the elemma exists, exis only within the framework of che exsing egime cha if this paradox constitutes an iron aw, icisonly che iron law of colonials capitalism, cherefore of ociery thats noc only perishable bu already in che proces of pershing. “What impure and worldly geography! IF cher is anything bewes, ici the Rev. Tempel. Let them plunder and tomate in the Congo, let the Belgian colonine sie all 58 oiscourseon coLonnuse the natural resource him stamp ou all reedom, le him crash all pride—tr him go in peace, the Reverend Father Tempals consents o al tha Bu ake cre! You ae going othe Congo? Respect—I do nosy native propery (the grea Balan companies might cake cat ar dig at chem, 1 do not ay the feesdom ofthe ative (he Bepancolonses might think tae was subversive ell), {donot ty the Congolese nation (the Belgian government might take it much amis)—I ay You ae going wo the Congo? Respect. the Bane philosophy “lewouldbereally outrageous” writes the Rev. Tempel, ifthe white educator were to inst on desroying the Black man’s own, particular human spit, which sche ony ele hac prevents us fiom considering him at an inferior being, It would be a cime against humaniy, onthe pr ofthe colonies, emancipate the primitive races rm that which s valid fom shat which onsites atkernel of ruth in he radiional hough, te.” ‘What generosity, Fathee! And what zal "Now then, koow that Bane thought i esentllyontlogcal «hat Bana otolgyisbased on the truly findamental nsions of life force and hierschy fife ores: and that forthe Banc he ‘ontological order which defines the wd comes fiom God and, a6 a divine dces, mustbe respected? ‘Weonderfll Everybody gains: the big companies, the colonists, the govemment-—everybody excep the Banta naturally. Since Bant thought is ontological, the Banca only a for satseton ofan ontological nature, Decent wage! Coraforable housing! Food! These Bane are pte spss, Il your "What hey Ales ist ofall and above all snot the improvemiet af tir economic or materia suation, but he white man's cognition of anu spect force git as men, tee fill human value” uecsune 59 Inshore, you tip your hat othe Bane life force, you give a wink ‘othe immoral Bantu soul And chtsallitcoss you! Yau have to admit you're geting off cheap As forthe government, why should it complain? Since, the Rev. ‘Tempels notes with obvious saison, “ftom thee fst conc with ‘the white men, the Bantu considered us rom che only point oFview ‘chat was possible to them, the poine few oftheir Bantu philosophy” and “integrated sito ther bierary of if forces very high level” In other words, aerangeitso thar he white man, and particularly ‘he Belgian, and even more particularly Albercor Leopold, takes his place at the head of the hierarchy of Bantu life face, and you have done the rick. You wil have brought eis miracle wo pass the Banc 0d will ake responsibility forthe Belgian coleniai order, and any Banta who dares ro vase his band agains i wl be guile of ecrlege. As or, Mannoni in view ofis book and his observations on the Madagascan soul, he deserves tobe taken very serious. Follow him step by stp through the ins and outs of his ile conjuring ticks, and he will prove to you as clear as day that colonization is bad on psychology, cha thee are in thie world sroups of men who, for unknown reasons, suffer from what must bo caled a dependency complex, that these groups are pycholog cally made for dependence that they need dependence that they crave it ak frit, demand i; chat thisis the ese with most of the oad piple and withthe Mapa pace, ainew the a as by magic, the moon is rurned into green cheese (60 e1scovrseon cotontusn But listen co him: eis che destiny ofthe ecdena nice the sblgation id down byt commandment Thou sha ety ihr and ty meter Thi bliin is incomprehensible tothe Madaancan. At a given time iis development every Earopean discovers in himself the dese to break the bonds of dependency, ro become dhe equal of his Sicher The Madapucao, nee He dct no experience svi with ‘the peal author. manly protest.” Adlai ‘duough which the European mast pss and which alike aed fos. ofthe inaon ses by which one aches manhood Don’ lee che sublaties of vocabulary, the new terminology, {ighten you! You know the old refi: "The-Negroes-are-big-chil- ddren.” They take i, they dtess i up for you, tangle i up for you ‘The results Mannoni. Once again, be reasured! At the stare ofthe journey i may seem a bt dificult, but once you get there, youl ‘see, you wil find al your baggage again. Nothing wil be missing, nt even the famous white mani burden. Thecefore, give ear "Through these ordeal” (resered forthe Occidental), “one ti uumphs over the infanile fear ofabandonment and acquire fresdom and autonomy, which are the most precious possessions and also the burdens of the Occidental.” ‘And the Madagascar? you ask. lying rce of bondsmen, Kipling would say. M. Mannoni makes his diagnosis "The Madagascan does not even try to imagine sucha siwation of abandonment... He desires nether personal auconomy not fee responsibly.” (Come on, you know how itis. These Negroes can’ even imagine what freedom is, They don’e wane i, they don’t demand it I's the ‘white agiarors who pur tha ino their heads And if you gave ico | them, they wouldnt know what to do with it) Aecésuns 61 [you point out wo M, Manon thatthe Madagascan have nevertheless evled several imes singe che French occupation and again reenty in 1947, M. Manne, hl o his premises, will ‘explain co you chat chat is purely neurotic behavior, callcive rads, a running amok that, moreover, in his cast was nt a ‘question ofthe Madagascan’ setng out conquer scl objetves be an “imaginary ssc,” eich obviously implies cha the ‘oppresion of which they complain isan imaginary oppresion. So clea, 90 insanely imaginary, that one might even speak of rmonstous ingratitude, according to the casi example of the Fijian who burns the dying-sbed ofthe capain who has cured him of hie wounds. “TE you cts the colonial dat drives the most populations to despair, M. Mannoni wi cxpli% you that afer the ones serponsble ae nat he colli whiter but the tized Madagscans, Dann all, they took the whites for gods and ‘expected of them everything one expoets of the divinity! Fy think the testmene applied tothe Madagascan neurosis waa tile ough, M. Mannoni, who hat an answer for eerhing, wl rove to you tha the famous rates people alk about have been very realy exaggerated, cha itiall euro fabriaon that che tones were imaginary tree applied by “imaginary erecu- sioner.” As forthe French government, it showed ite singularly modest, since was content ares the Madagascan depts, when it chould have scifi taem, fic had wanted to npect the laws of aeathy pycholgy. Tam not exaggerating It M. Manon speaking “Treading very lial pt, de Madagcis nmtmed hiss ino mary hl ent capa cy wae 0 62 onscovtston eovonusn wah hcirimginr sn in the blood of hr own ged They were Prep ccna tigre outer ne pric orn tt stinude once more. One ear ofthis depends pychology would sec to eta since no on ci evo ae eo he shouldbe serif he ote. The mont agit ofthe clitts in Tananarive hada confined undetanding ofthe eeae of thi chology osc adhe demande hi tna Thy bsg the High Comnione’s ofc, asurng him tha if hey were rama he lod of ow intocen,“reryone wold be ase This aide, dgaefl fom suman pin of view, was bared ot shar was 0 be whale a fry acute prepton of te emeinal rane ht to papain of tihng righ ‘Obviously its only astep fom thisto absolvng he bloodthirsty colonials. M, Mannon's “psychology” sas “disinterested ares” 38M. Gourou's geography or the Re. Tempe’ missionary theology! ‘And te striking thing they all have in common isthe persistent bourgeois atempe co ede the most human problems to comfor- able hollow notions the ides ofthe dependency complex in Man- oni the ontological ideain the Rev. Tempel the ides of“ ropicalty” in Gourou. What has become of the BanguedTdechine inl ha? ‘And the Bangue de Madagascar And the bullwhip? And the taxes? ‘And the handfl of rice tothe Madagascan or the mhagué?!* And the marys? And the innocent people murdered? And the blood- stained money pling up in you eoflers, gentlemen? ‘They have evaporated! Disappeared, intermingled, become unrecognizable in the realm of pale ratociations. ‘Buc there sone unfortunate hing for these genslemen. Testa their bourgcois masters are less and less responsive > a icky asgumentand ae condemned increasingly to war aay from them and applaud others who ae es subce and more bral. That i necrame 6 precisely what gives M, Yves Flrenne a chance, And indeed, here neady arranged on the tay ofthe newspaper Le Monde. at his lite offersofservice. No posiblesurprises, Completely guaranteed, with proven efficacy, Filly ested with conclusive results, here we have Form of racism, a French racism sill noe very stad tis true, but promising Listen to the maa himself “Our reader” (a teacher who as had the audacity to contrat the rascible M. Florenne),"...contemplatingtwo younghl-breed rls her pupils, has a sens ofpride tthe fielng thas herisa growing smeatre of integration withowr French foi... Would het response bo che sme if she saw, in reverse, France being integrated into the black family (or the yellow or te takes no ciference), that io <3, Becoming diluted, disppeating” : [7 Ieisclear that for M. YoesFlorenne itis blood that makes France, (Cand the Foundations of the nation are biological: “Its people, its inius, ate made ofa chousand-year-old equilibrium that i at RE ‘same time vigorous and delcae, and... ceraia alarming distur buanees of this equilibrium coincide with che massive and often dangerous infusion of foreign blood which it has had wo undergo cover the ls thy year.” In short, ewos-breeding—that is the enemy. No mote social ‘cise No more economic crise! All hai eft are racial crises! OF ‘course, humanism loses none ofits prestige (we are in the Western world), burleeus understand each other: “Iv is not by losing itself inthe hurnan univers, with is blood and is spirit, chat France will be universal, itisby remaining tse” ‘Thacis whac che French bourgeoisie has come to, five yeas afcr the defeat of Hides! And iis precisely in that chat is historic punigh- ment lis to be condemned, returning wo it as though driven by a vice, 0 chew over Hider’ vomit, 64 miscounsox couonusish Because afer all:M Yves Florenne was sil fasingover pest novels, “dramas ofthe land” and series ofthe el eye when, with a far more el ee than the rustic hero of some tal of witcha, Hider was announcing “The supreme gol of che People Stat is co preserve the orginal clement ofthe race which, by spreading culere create the bea and dignity of superior humanity.” 1M, YeesHorene is ame ofthis diet decent. And he isi rom being embarasied by Fine. Tha’ hisight. Asieis nocour ight to be indignant about Because, fier all we mus reign ourselves wo ce inevitable and sey t ourshes, once and forall that the bougeis is eondemned to become every day more satings more openly Ferocious, more shameles; more summary bubarus hte is an implacable ow tas ume ito «recep int a ont eis niversl ic dnappears, every dass must fis dgace el ‘comple, onal fos, and hates wt het heads bared in che dung char dying societies ur tei swan songs ; “The dosiris indo overwhelming ‘Abas hat by che elementary exercise ofits vali sills blood and sows death—you remember tat isi wasn che form ofthis ere archery that capa soxiey fist reveled lf vo the best minds nd concences he animal as become anemic ts losing, at what about thi “Everything in his world reels of xine: the newpepe the wal ch eoamenace of.” Bale aid hat, bef He was ort Which proves tha tel ae adap source And Isidore Ducasse, Comte de Lautréamoni!"? 66 oiscounse on coroniue In his connection iis hgh ime wo dsipae the atmosphere of scandal that hasbeen erated around che Chas de Maldoor Monstosiy? Literary meteorite? Dlr of asckimagination? ‘Come, now! How convenient is “The eth is chat Laeréront had only to look theron man forged by capitals society squarely in the eye #0 perceive the ‘monster, the everyday monster, his hero. 'No one denies the veracity of Baa. But wait moment: take Vaucn, lechim be just back from the wopics, give him the wings of the archangel and the shivers of ‘malaria le him be accompanied through the streets of Pars by an ‘scott of Uniguayan vampires and eanivorous ants, and you will have Maldoror.” ‘The sting is changed, but csc same world the same man, har inflexible, unscrapulous, fond, ifevera man was, of the flesh of other men.” “To dgresforamomene within my dgresion, Ibeleve thatthe kay will ome when, withall he elements gathered together, all the sources analyzed, al the cicumstances of the work elucidated, it will be posible gve the Chane de Maldorr a materialise and historical interpretation which will bring to light an akogether _unrecognized aspect ofthis enti epic its implacable denuncia- tion of avery pariulr form of society sc could not escape the sharpest eyes around the year 1865. Before that. of course, we wll ave had ro cearaway che occult and metaphysical commenearis tha obscure he patho reesab- lsh the importance of cerzain neglected stasas—for example, hat steangst passage ofall, the one concering the mine oflic,in which ‘we wll consent to se nothing more or les than the denunciation ofthe evil power of gold and the hoarding up of money; to restore anieetsune 67 toitstrue place theadmirsbleepisode ofthe omnibus, and bewiling 1 find init very simply whatis there, to wit, dhe sare allegorical picture of a society in which che privileged, comfortably sated, refuse moveclosertogethersoastomake room forthe new arrival, ‘And —eisaid in passing—who welcomes the child who has been | eallously rejected? The people! Represented hese by che ragpcker, Baudelaire’ agpicker: Paying no eed to the pies fhe cops is chal, He pours his hea out in stupendout schemes Heals grea us and dies iblime vs, ‘Cats down the wick ad the in eae “Then it willbe underzood, wilt not, thatthe enemy whom, Lauudamonthas made he enemy the canibalisi,brin- devouring “Creators.” che sadist perched on “a throne made of human exere- sent and gold," the hypocrite, the debauchee, the idler who “cus the bead of others” and who from cme times found dead drunk, “drunkasa bedbug that has swallowed thee bares of blood during the night” icwillbe underwood chat ics oe beyond the clouds hat ‘one mus look for shat erator, bu hat we are more Hey 0 find him in. Desfosé’s busines directory and on some comfortable cexceutive board! Bue le that be. “The moraliss can do nothing about i. ‘Whacheroneliesitor notte bourse, as acs iscondemned bara of Bist the one of 5 the raion Fut ain and slavery, in shore zveyeing agains in protested in unforgetable terms 2 che time when, atthe stacking is; twas che incaration of hum progsess- (66 o1scouNse oN coLONIASM ‘The morals can do nothing about ie. Thee is a law of| _prosesiedeanization a aecondance wth which henceforthon ‘the agenda ofthe Bourgeoisie hee is—there can be nothing but violence, corruption, and bacbaism, 1 alos fogor hated, ying, cone. almost forge M. Roger Calo. * ‘Wellthen: M ils, who from me immemorial hasbeen given theminontoteachalaxandipshodagesigorousthoughtand dignified sje, M. Calli, therefore, has just been moved mighty wrath, Why? Because of che great betrayal of Westen ethnography which, withadeplorable deterioration os sense of esponsibility, hasbeen ‘sing alls ingenuity of lt wo east doa upon the over supe- sorry of Western civilization over the exotic civilizations. "Nowe laseM. Cilos rakes the fld Europe hasthisapacity fr rsing up heroic saviors atthe most ical moments. [kisunpardonableon our par noo remember M. Mass who, sound 1927, embarked on a crasde fo the defen of the West ‘Wewantto make sure tha berries store for M. Calo who, in order to defend the same sacred cause, transforms his pen ino a good Toledo dagger. Wha did M, Mass sy? He deplored the fact chat “the destiny ‘of Westen civilization, and indeed the destiny of man,” were now ‘threatened hat an acempe wat being made onl sides “to appeal to aur anxieties ca challenge the aims made Fr our clr, cll Into question che mort esenial par of what we poses,” and he ore ro make war upon thes “dinaous prophets” M. Caillis identifies the enemy no diferealy. It i thoe “Buropean intellects" who for the lst Billy years, “because of snuceasane 69

    You might also like