Race, Capital, and the Politics of Solidarity: Radical Internationalism in the 21St Century ~ Ida Danewid
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London School of Economics and Political Science Race, Capital, and the Politics of Solidarity: Radical Internationalism in the 21st Century ~ Ida Danewid A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economics and Political Science for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy London, August 2018 D E C L A R A T I O N I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent. I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. I declare that my thesis consists of 91,770 words. A B S T R A C T This thesis interrogates the absence of questions of race, colonialism, and their contemporary legacies in the philosophical literature on global justice and cosmopolitan ethics. What are the ethical, political, and material consequences of these “unspeakable things unspoken”, and what would it mean for cosmopolitanism to take seriously the problem of the global colour line? The thesis provides a tentative answer to these questions through a close engagement with contemporary debates about the meaning and purpose of international solidarity. It demonstrates that critical and liberal approaches often help reproduce and legitimise, rather than challenge and transcend, the current unjust and unequal racialized global order. Drawing on Cedric Robinson and the literature on racial capitalism, it interrogates how solidarity can be decolonised and re- conceived so as to better attend to the materiality of the global colour line. Through a close reading of the European migrant crisis, recent forms of Black-Palestinian solidarity, and the ongoing struggle for decolonisation in South Africa, it identifies an alternative internationalist imaginary that grows out of the solidarities forged in the struggle against imperialism, patriarchy, and racial capitalism. This is a radicalised and decolonised emancipatory project which retrieves the idea of universal history and total critique, but does so without invoking Eurocentric ideas of progress and teleology. In an era of Trump, Brexit, and global fascist resurgence—where the “white working class” frequently is juxtaposed with “immigrants”, and identity politics blamed for the demise of the organised Left—such an internationalist vision is urgently needed. What can I do? One must begin somewhere. Begin what? The only thing in the world worth beginning: The End of the world of course. – Aimé Césaire A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S The support, friendship, and love that sustained me over the last four years wove itself into a colourful quilt on which I've thought, read, traveled, and grown. My deepest thanks to: Kirsten Ainley and Mark Hoffman, my PhD supervisors without whom this project would not have been possible. Evelyn Pauls, the best side-kick, friend, and proof-reader one could wish for. Ramón Grosfoguel, for introducing me to decolonial theory and hosting me at UC Berkeley. Keith Feldman, whose “Cultural Studies Without Guarantees” course at UC Berkeley opened my eyes to the work of Stuart Hall. Friends around and at the LSE: Ilaria Carrozza, Andrew Delatolla, Joanne Yao, Nawal Mustafa, Pilar Elizalde, Liane Hartnett, Helena Moac, Elitsa Garnizova, Alvina Hoffmann, Kerry Goettlich, Scott Hamilton, Aaron McKeil, and Andreas Nohr. For the support, discussions, and many hours at the George and White Horse. Those who read and generously commented on my work: Robbie Shilliam, Louiza Odysseos, George Lawson, Rahul Rao, Chris Rossdale, Nivi Manchanda, Kerem Nisancioglu, Meera Sabaratnam, Chris Brown, Myriam Fotou, Joe Hoover and, in particular, Tarak Barkawi. You are endless sources of inspiration. The Millennium family. You know who you are. Ayah Al Zayat, my apricot. Ayah Ayah! Jaideep Shah, for Kensington Gardens Square and the chai. Shaka “Lish” Henderson, for the yoga, music, and politics. Hanna Hagos, for the red wine and the tattoos. Ursula Scott, Adam Hazlewood, Agi Gwara, and everyone else in the Soho Ashtanga yoga community: for the sweat and laughter. Nanns & Tjubbz, my siblings in crime. Nerma Kunovac, min tuffs. Adam Almakroudi, for being the sunshine of my life. Tsay inou, Snoepje. Mamms, for the constant stream of love, support, and Mörsjö. Papps, for always believing in me. Det som inte dödar det härdar! Much of this work was conceived while traveling. A big thank you to everyone that I met, discussed with, and learned from in Brazil, Barcelona, Berkeley, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Indonesia. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to my grandparents, Bomme & Månne: the many afternoons spent with you on Råbelövsgatan (reading, drinking tea, and discussing politics and art) made me the reading and writing person I am today. This is for you. C O N T E N T S I L L U S T R A T I O N S..................................................................................................1 I N T R O D U C T I O N In Search of Solidarity...........................................................................................................2 International Political Theory and the Global Colour Line..........................................2 Within “Shouting Distance” of Marxism: Racial Capitalism and the Colonial Question........................................................................................................................ 5 Race and the Politics of Solidarity................................................................................9 Radical Internationalism in Dark Times..................................................................... 12 Chapter Outline........................................................................................................... 16 C H A P T E R 1 Cosmopolitanism and the Colonial Life of Ethics............................................................20 Introduction.................................................................................................................20 Can Solidarity Save Strangers? Liberalism and Empire.............................................22 Solidarity of the Shaken: Poststructuralism and Colonial Unknowing.......................31 Solidarity From Below: Postcolonialism and the Elision of Political Economy .......37 The Swindle................................................................................................................ 42 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 44 C H A P T E R 2 From Revolution to Ethics: Historicizing the Cosmopolitan Turn................................47 Introduction.................................................................................................................47 Why Historize? A Marxist Approach to Political Theory........................................... 48 Victorian Beginnings: 1848 and the White Man's Burden..........................................51 The Turn to Ethics: 1968 and the Transformation of the Left....................................57 The Humanitarian Melodrama: 1989 and the Rediscovery of the Third World ........63 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 70 C H A P T E R 3 The Political Economy of Race: Rethinking the Global Colour Line.............................73 Introduction.................................................................................................................73 Racial Capitalism and the Global Colour Line........................................................... 77 Reproductive Racial Capitalism..................................................................................84 Ghettos, Slums, Favelas: Neoliberalism and the Global Production of Surplus Humanity.....................................................................................................................86 Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 91 C H A P T E R 4 Identity Politics and the Class Struggle: Towards a New Internationalism...................93 Introduction.................................................................................................................93 The Colour Line and the Assembly Line.................................................................... 95 The Common Cause Is Freedom.................................................................................99 Revolutionary Solidarity and the Politics of Internationalism..................................104 Conclusion.................................................................................................................110 C H A P T E R 5 The Drowned and the Saved: Circuits of Resistance in the Black Mediterranean........112 Introduction.......................................................................................................... 112 Borders and the Politics of Solidarity...................................................................115 The Black Mediterranean: Racial Capitalism and the Political