• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Login
NRI Affairs
Youtube Channel
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other
No Result
View All Result
NRI Affairs
No Result
View All Result
Home Views

White cat is out of the bag!

Dwijottam Bhattacharjee by Dwijottam Bhattacharjee
March 1, 2022
in Views
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Ukraine racism russia war

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

163
SHARES
1.5k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Advertisements

We are living in a world in which violence has freed itself of ideology, said the great German poet and sociologist Hans Magnus Enzensberger. Perhaps, we are living in a world also where the discourse has freed itself similarly from reality.

When the going gets tough, racists get going. The attack on Ukraine by Putin’s Russia has inspired a number of broadcasters, all white, to be voluble about why they consider this war to be different: the sum and substance of what they say is that the war is not in the nasty armpits of the world populated by the black or brown, but the crisis is hitting “people like us”, white Europeans.

Some have put out more parameters and the one that stands out (if, for a moment you ignore the priceless descriptor from one journalist saying the victims this time are people with “Netflix accounts”) in multiple media statements is that the victims this time are “civilized”.

This is not new. George Bush repeatedly referred to 9/11 as being an attack on the “civilized world”. Everyone at one point chanted “Je Suis Charlie” and said the “civilized world” would not stand for terrorism, presumably from some sort of “uncivilized world”. The twentieth century had enough clear evidence that Europe and Europeans and whites could barely lay exclusive claim to civilization: it was after all, a century that saw genocides in gas chambers and the almost nonchalant dropping of atomic bombs, apart from the long strangling of entire bodies of population by Communist totalitarian dictators: all white war crimes. The seeds were there of white supremacy: the world, after all, was quite openly divided into three during the Cold War: the First World, comprising the “good rich nations, all white”, the unmentionable “second world, the white but Communist enemies”, and the third world, the rest. The rest were black and brown, whether rich or poor, “developing” or “underdeveloped”.

Follow NRI Affairs on Facebook and Twitter for latest updates. 

Untitled design 3

In the post-Cold War era, however, capitalism was considered the giant global washing machine, and wherever “proper capitalism” went was considered civilized. Samuel P Huntington helped Europeans resume their obsession with the Civilizing mission – wiping the colonial past of that mission squeaky clean – when he wrote the bestseller “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order” in 1996. The bugle was sounded and found echo in many pundits in the Western media. Thomas Friedman of the New York Times, one of the most celebrated champions of globalization and the author of “The World is Flat”, said no two countries which had got their McDonald outlets in the post Cold War era had gone to war. This was the neoliberal paean to Capitalism, the foundation but not yet the final racist version of casual and open populist racism that abounds today.

Indian girl chooses to stay back in Ukraine to help landlord’s family

The racist denouement was not long in coming though. As neoliberal strategy created unprecedented inequality in white nations (and the 2008 financial crisis and how it was dealt with summarised the savagery of that inequality), white politicians found it increasingly opportune to mobilize votes by vociferously blaming “different” people for all ills. This would keep the focus of anger not on the one percent enjoying more than seventy percent, on an average, of national wealth, but on recent arrivals from war-torn nations. Most of the wars the new arrivals were escaping were either started by Western white nations or were being sustained through active material and intelligence interventions of those Western nations.

Advertisements

Here is the thing, though. When Donald Trump called Africa the arsehole of the world or tried to pass bills preventing migration from “uncivilized” countries, his voice represented a racism that isn’t what we see in careless references during the Ukraine war broadcasts. Those are deliberately dumbed-down, in-your-face insults targeting liberals. When a journalist or a panelist from Al Jazeera or the BBC almost casually talks about the victims hailing from “our own civilized world”, they belong to a tribe that might well have criticized Trump over civilized wine and it would be no surprise to know that they decry the naked variety of racism.

“It’s very emotional for me because I see European people with blue eyes and blonde hair being killed”pic.twitter.com/mKVtEY4IBC

— Petty Is Praxis (@rtyson82) February 26, 2022

This is the variety of racism that has less to do with political mobilization or any recent populist upsurge. It has more to do with something far more endemic: it is the way white people across the world sense the world from birth to death; it has its roots in the white natural sense of what could or ought to happen in the world. That sense shows up when the British Prime Minister repeatedly makes wildly racist dismissive statements about Africans and Muslims, but is finally called to judgement by his electorate only on whether he drank at a party during Covid. It shows up when righteous French intellectuals defend French legislation banning veils or ghettoization in banalites around Paris citing French identity, liberte and egalite be damned.

Support us on Patreon.

"We are in the 21st century, we are in a European city and we have cruise missile fire as though we were in Iraq or Afghanistan, can you imagine!”

We are being told (in many European languages) who deserves war, missiles; who is a good refugee—human.

(BFM TV, France) https://t.co/OdDGXhvdIw

— Sana Saeed (@SanaSaeed) February 26, 2022

Identity is strange. The moral illegitimacy of white supremacy has never been starker thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement. The idea of a “European” has never been in greater confusion than now. Brexit, the arrival of Syrian migrants, and the high-handed treatment meted out by Northern European rich nations to relatively less affluent Southern European countries such as Spain, Portugal and Greece in the wake of the 2008 crisis have punched irreparable holes in the very concept. Yet, the ingrained, embedded and indeed almost atavistic white instincts lead broadcasters to casually pronounce that war this time is more unacceptable because the victims are white Europeans.

We are living in a world in which violence has freed itself of ideology, said the great German poet and sociologist Hans Magnus Enzensberger. Perhaps, we are living in a world also where the discourse has freed itself similarly from reality.

The reality, inexorable as it is, is that as the triumphal march of Capitalism continues, not only will capital slosh across borders as it has done relentlessly since the end of the Cold War (Fukuyama famously called it The End of History), but so will labour. Labour, in the form of humans of myriad colour, cultures and beliefs will spread in the service of capital just as funds do now. The latent sense of White Supremacy will remain, albeit only in slips of tongues of “civilized” broadcasters.

In that sense, they are already fossils of their own construct of “civilization”.

“Find a bomb shelter”: India to stranded students in Ukraine
Advertisements
Share65Tweet41Send
Dwijottam Bhattacharjee

Dwijottam Bhattacharjee

Former journalist, occasional writer and currently a financial investor.

Related Posts

In what discourse can we converse with the heartless: an open letter to the Chief Justice of India
Views

In what discourse can we converse with the heartless: an open letter to the Chief Justice of India

July 1, 2022
The world’s affluent must start eating local food to tackle the climate crisis, new research shows
Views

The world’s affluent must start eating local food to tackle the climate crisis, new research shows

June 21, 2022
delhi-jama-masjid Prophet Protest
Views

Why Muslim countries are quick at condemning defamation – but often ignore rights violations against Muslim minorities

June 18, 2022
Next Post
Turkey’s Ilker Ayci refuses Air India CEO role

Turkey’s Ilker Ayci refuses Air India CEO role

India Must Punish Incitement To Genocide At Haridwar Under Genocide Convention: Gregory Stanton

India Must Punish Incitement To Genocide At Haridwar Under Genocide Convention: Gregory Stanton

Kharkiv Ukraine trapped Indian students

Indians trapped in Ukraine in panic as one student killed in Kharkiv

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recommended

Indonesian Raupia

Indonesia: Why a Muslim country has a Hindu lord on its currency note

7 months ago
New Zealand Visa Update

New Zealand extends work and residence visas; conditions apply

2 months ago
Indian-origin Victorian MP Kaushaliya Vaghela quits Labor Party; accuses colleagues of bullying

Indian-origin Victorian MP Kaushaliya Vaghela quits Labor Party; accuses colleagues of bullying

4 months ago
Lisa Singh

Lisa Singh to lead Australia India Institute

10 months ago

Categories

  • Literature
  • Multimedia
  • News
  • nriaffairs
  • Other
  • People
  • Top Stories
  • Uncategorized
  • Views
  • Visa

Topics

#religion Air India Australia Canada caste COVID COVID-19 cricket Diwali Europe Geeta genocide Hindu Hinduism Hindutva immigration India Indian Indian Students Khalistan lockdown London Melbourne Modi Muslim Neetu New Zealand NRI NSW Pakistan Poetry quarantine Russia Singapore trade travel UAE uk Ukraine US USA vaccination Victoria visa women
NRI Affairs

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Navigate Site

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Video
  • Opinion
  • Culture
  • Visa
  • Other

© 2021 NRI Affairs.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT