L’associazione Utopia Rossa lavora e lotta per l’unità dei movimenti rivoluzionari di tutto il mondo in una nuova internazionale: la Quinta. Al suo interno convivono felicemente – con un progetto internazionalista e princìpi di etica politica – persone di provenienza marxista e libertaria, anarcocomunista, situazionista, femminista, trotskista, guevarista, leninista, credente e atea, oltre a liberi pensatori. Non succedeva dai tempi della Prima internazionale.
giovedì 14 novembre 2024
SABATO 16 NOVEMBRE ORE 15
martedì 12 novembre 2024
L’UKRAINE EST SEULE (OU PRESQUE)
de Patrick Le Tréhondat1
Les campistes, de leur côté, partagent cette appréciation. Dans leur vision, où comptent uniquement l’affrontement des puissances et où les peuples sont absents, la stabilité du régime russe est essentielle. Oh, certes, ils peuvent regretter les «entailles» aux droit humains que commet le Kremlin et ils peuvent même apporter leur soutien à tel ou tel oppositionnel russe emprisonné, mais en définitive ils considèrent que la lutte du peuple ukrainien pour sa liberté et la démocratie est un affaiblissement, et même un obstacle, à leur lutte «anti-impérialiste», en réalité essentiellement dirigée contre les États-Unis. La Fédération de Russie, au même titre que la Chine, constitue à leurs yeux une force de résistance aux puissances occidentales dominantes et ils défendent l’avènement d’un multipolarité radieuse qui n’est en définitive qu’un multi-impérialisme.
sabato 9 novembre 2024
LA TRATTA ARABO-MUSSULMANA
ENGLISH
Dear friends,
Inspired by a passage in the magnificent book by Rampini (Grazie Occidente! [West]), where the “woke" are criticized for condemning only the Western slave trade while remaining silent on the Arab one that preceded it by centuries, I decided to look at a site dedicated to the topic:
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tratta_araba_degli_schiavi [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_slavery_in_the_Muslim_world]. [https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comercio_árabe_de_esclavos].
The article is well-constructed, well-documented, and convincing in every detail. I recommend reading it, even for those of you who are already familiar with the topic and know more about it than I did until recently.
I was astonished by some hugely significant facts:
The Arab-Muslim slave trade, primarily aimed at exploiting human beings in Africa but also in the Byzantine Empire and Europe, lasted approximately 13 centuries (from the 7th to the 19th century) and, in some cases, still continues. (The Western, or "Atlantic," trade lasted from the 17th to the 19th century...).
The Arab-Muslim trade affected about 17 million people. (The Atlantic trade affected approximately 12 million people, according to the highest estimates).
In the Arab world, the abolition of the slave trade was not due to an indigenous abolitionist movement (i.e., Arab or Muslim), but to external diplomatic and military pressures from major Western imperialist and colonial powers. (This fact could cause a mid-level "woke" person to have a heart attack). Christian missions (both Catholic and Protestant), which were primarily Western, also played a partially abolitionist role.
The Arab-Muslim slave trade and slavery continued on a much smaller scale until the 20th century due to the cautious and tolerant stance of the colonial powers towards the Arab elites, who sought to benefit from the economic advantages of slavery for as long as they could. (A separate discussion would be needed for the slavery practiced by the Ottoman Empire.)
The enormous economic benefits of the Arab-Muslim slave trade were among the significant reasons for the lack of industrial and modern development in these countries. I quote from Wikipedia:
«The trade also had consequences within the Arab world: after initial strong growth (coinciding with the Islamic Golden Age), the economy of Arab countries relied on slavery and did not activate those transformations that would have led other countries to the Industrial Revolution despite the large profits generated by the trade (British historian Arnold J. Toynbee estimated them at 20% of the invested capital, roughly double the profits generated in Europe by the Atlantic Trade). The great availability of slave labor did not stimulate the search for automation processes, and the industrial machines spreading in Europe from the 18th century onward did not spark interest in the Arab world».
If any of you find mention of this phenomenon among the explanations for the cultural and economic backwardness of the Muslim world in the much-praised Orientalism by Edward Said, please let me know.
Unlike the West during the era of slavery, there is no abolitionist or anti-slavery literature in the Arab-Muslim world for the centuries in which the trade was practiced. And perhaps this is the most dramatic and significant fact, enough on its own to dismantle the web of falsifications or sheer ignorance characterizing the woke world.
I again recommend reading the Wikipedia article, and if anyone is inclined to write an article for Utopia rossa/Red Utopia, it will be warmly welcomed. This brief reflection of mine can also circulate freely and perhaps be translated into other languages (starting with Arabic or Turkish...).
RED UTOPIA ROJA – Principles / Principios / Princìpi / Principes / Princípios
a) The end does not justify the means, but the means which we use must reflect the essence of the end.
b) Support for the struggle of all peoples against imperialism and/or for their self determination, independently of their political leaderships.
c) For the autonomy and total independence from the political projects of capitalism.
d) The unity of the workers of the world - intellectual and physical workers, without ideological discrimination of any kind (apart from the basics of anti-capitalism, anti-imperialism and of socialism).
e) Fight against political bureaucracies, for direct and councils democracy.
f) Save all life on the Planet, save humanity.
g) For a Red Utopist, cultural work and artistic creation in particular, represent the noblest revolutionary attempt to fight against fear and death. Each creation is an act of love for life, and at the same time a proposal for humanization.
* * *
a) El fin no justifica los medios, y en los medios que empleamos debe estar reflejada la esencia del fin.
b) Apoyo a las luchas de todos los pueblos contra el imperialismo y/o por su autodeterminación, independientemente de sus direcciones políticas.
c) Por la autonomía y la independencia total respecto a los proyectos políticos del capitalismo.
d) Unidad del mundo del trabajo intelectual y físico, sin discriminaciones ideológicas de ningún tipo, fuera de la identidad “anticapitalista, antiimperialista y por el socialismo”.
e) Lucha contra las burocracias políticas, por la democracia directa y consejista.
f) Salvar la vida sobre la Tierra, salvar a la humanidad.
g) Para un Utopista Rojo el trabajo cultural y la creación artística en particular son el más noble intento revolucionario de lucha contra los miedos y la muerte. Toda creación es un acto de amor a la vida, por lo mismo es una propuesta de humanización.
* * *
a) Il fine non giustifica i mezzi, ma nei mezzi che impieghiamo dev’essere riflessa l’essenza del fine.
b) Sostegno alle lotte di tutti i popoli contro l’imperialismo e/o per la loro autodeterminazione, indipendentemente dalle loro direzioni politiche.
c) Per l’autonomia e l’indipendenza totale dai progetti politici del capitalismo.
d) Unità del mondo del lavoro mentale e materiale, senza discriminazioni ideologiche di alcun tipo (a parte le «basi anticapitaliste, antimperialiste e per il socialismo».
e) Lotta contro le burocrazie politiche, per la democrazia diretta e consigliare.
f) Salvare la vita sulla Terra, salvare l’umanità.
g) Per un Utopista Rosso il lavoro culturale e la creazione artistica in particolare rappresentano il più nobile tentativo rivoluzionario per lottare contro le paure e la morte. Ogni creazione è un atto d’amore per la vita, e allo stesso tempo una proposta di umanizzazione.
* * *
a) La fin ne justifie pas les moyens, et dans les moyens que nous utilisons doit apparaître l'essence de la fin projetée.
b) Appui aux luttes de tous les peuples menées contre l'impérialisme et/ou pour leur autodétermination, indépendamment de leurs directions politiques.
c) Pour l'autonomie et la totale indépendance par rapport aux projets politiques du capitalisme.
d) Unité du monde du travail intellectuel et manuel, sans discriminations idéologiques d'aucun type, en dehors de l'identité "anticapitaliste, anti-impérialiste et pour le socialisme".
e) Lutte contre les bureaucraties politiques, et pour la démocratie directe et conseilliste.
f) Sauver la vie sur Terre, sauver l'Humanité.
g) Pour un Utopiste Rouge, le travail culturel, et plus particulièrement la création artistique, représentent la plus noble tentative révolutionnaire pour lutter contre la peur et contre la mort. Toute création est un acte d'amour pour la vie, et en même temps une proposition d'humanisation.
* * *
a) O fim não justifica os médios, e os médios utilizados devem reflectir a essência do fim.
b) Apoio às lutas de todos os povos contra o imperialismo e/ou pela auto-determinação, independentemente das direcções políticas deles.
c) Pela autonomia e a independência respeito total para com os projectos políticos do capitalismo.
d) Unidade do mundo do trabalho intelectual e físico, sem discriminações ideológicas de nenhum tipo, fora da identidade “anti-capitalista, anti-imperialista e pelo socialismo”.
e) Luta contra as burocracias políticas, pela democracia directa e dos conselhos.
f) Salvar a vida na Terra, salvar a humanidade.
g) Para um Utopista Vermelho o trabalho cultural e a criação artística em particular representam os mais nobres tentativos revolucionários por lutar contra os medos e a morte. Cada criação é um ato de amor para com a vida e, no mesmo tempo, uma proposta de humanização.