Timestamp 1:30:23 through 1:35:35. Captions will help to hear the question
Interesting take by Vijay here. I think I agree with him, although not surprised to hear him say that he had pushback from others.
He was asked what he thinks of settler-colonialism as a framework and how, or whether, it can be theoretically combined with imperialism.
His answer was that settler-colonialism is not useful. In the case of Israel, he thinks it is better addressed as a supremacist ethnostate and should be dismantled on that basis. If the issue is compressed into a settler-colonial model, then the implication is that the solution is to remove all Israelis from the land, which he finds objectionable. Furthermore he doesn’t want “a world of Israels”, a world of ethnically defined nations who are entitled to resist intrusion by other groups. Vijay instead argues that the end goal needs to be plurinational states that can tolerate diversity.
“Settler Colonialism means settlers should go home.” Does it though? This feels like the same tired argument that white people make on Turtle Island when talking about the same subject. “So I’m just going to be kicked out? Where will me and my family go?”
My understanding of the Settler Colonialism framework is who has power. Do we just allow the settlers to maintain their domination or is that power given back to the people it was stolen from? And once they retain the power it is up to them to decide what is best for the land.
Most Palestinians in the diaspora know from which street they came from. Unfortunately this isn’t the case with a majority of native americans.
I don’t think this comparison makes any sense in the context of North America. There were not streets and cities in most cases, many groups were nomadic and had temporary villages they bounced between with the seasons and broke down when they left. For the nations that did have permanent settlements, they know exactly where those settlements were and have every right to that land today as they always have. The Palestinian context may have literal houses that they were kicked out of which they can trace back to, but more Palestinians will be rebuilding in rubble than returning to a street or house that their grandparents lived in. They still have every right to that land
Well yeah its not really that the native americans are completely unaware of their native lands and that they did not have an western style housing situation. In an “international law” sense (I know) the Palestinians have an easier time, if you only count returning then the Native Land Areas Judicially Established back into indigenous hands then maybe.
Yeah, beginning with just the treaties being upheld would be an easier start. I definitely have some concerns about how realistic it will be to get broader support for anything more than that, even if it is obviously the correct thing to do. It is hard to imagine how we get there from our current position and trajectory
It’s 100% the same. Whenever someone asks where the settlers will go I always point to South Africa where, despite living under apartheid, they did not kick the settlers out.
No notable Indigenous movement in North America I’m aware of has advocated for sending back settlers, it’s about self determination.