One Day We Will Eliminate Imperialism
I want to thank Juan Manuel (and Terry for translating) for his perspective and suggestions regarding the U.S. elections and the RC e-mail discussion lists [see previous article]. I want to recognize the risk he took for speaking frankly. I cried when I read what he wrote, and so did my partner.
A week ago some Indigenous friends participated in a press conference with Amnesty International about violence against Indigenous women due to industrial development in northern British Columbia (Canada). On Sunday there was an election in Nicaragua. Yesterday there was an election in the Yukon, in northern Canada.
Meanwhile, the majority of Canadians have been obsessed with the U.S. election. When U.S. news displaces our own news, and news of the world, it’s a symptom of imperialism.
The majority of Canadians can recite various U.S. songs; however, most can’t sing a single Canadian song. This is internalized imperialism.
Sometimes I want to scream. Yesterday I could laugh, thanks to a satirical magazine that joked that world stock markets were nervous, and Clinton and Trump were panicking, because of the Yukon election.
The RC lists don’t have the atmosphere of RC workshops. For example, on the lists we can’t establish a speaking order for some oppressed groups, or see people who don’t speak much English discharging about something. So once in a while some patterns dominate.
I love the United States. I love its people. I love my U.S. Co-Counselors. And I love our international movement. I think USers suffer from their patterns, like people of the owning class suffer from their isolation. One day—together—we will eliminate imperialism; we will eliminate internalized imperialism.
A big hug,
Wells, British Columbia, Canada
Reprinted from the RC e-mail discussion list for leaders of wide world change
(Present Time 186, January 2017)