“ A class cannot exist in society without in some degree manifesting a consciousness of itself as a group with common problems, interests and prospects”

– Harry Braverman

John Cleese insists he isn’t racist but….

John Cleese insists he isn’t racist because he believes “some cultures are better than others”. This colonial mindset is a relic of the ‘glorious days’ days of Britain. An idea of Britain which has never existed.

This rhetoric has been prevalent in the west since the Iraq war where Imperialism attempted to manufacture consent of invading and pillaging the middle east.

His point of ‘culture not race’ is a distinction without much difference. Especially in the manner himself and Rupert Lowe discuss it.

From a class perspective, cultures are not floating ideas that emerge in isolation. They are shaped by history and material conditions. Poverty, colonialism, war and exploitation leave their mark on societies just as prosperity and stability do.

Cleese points to female genital mutilation and beheadings as though they are defining characteristics of entire cultures. Not talking about the actual beliefs of the cultures/denominations of the people he attacks. Just that of the most extremist elements of it.

He completely ignores who promotes these extremists and why they exist in the first place.

Let’s look at the Middle East. This is obviously where he is referring too. The most warring state is the wests strategic partner Israel. Some of the most degenerative atrocities committed in the region were perpetuted by the zionists, but that isn’t what he’s talking about.

Islam is what he means and only the extremist part of it. The most reactionary Islamist movements did not emerge in a vacuum. Time and again they have been created and armed by the very imperialist powers that now point to them as evidence of a supposedly ‘inferior culture’. Britain and the United States have spent decades backing monarchies, dictators and sectarian forces whenever it suited their strategic interests, while crushing any revolutionary movements that threatened western dominance.

This is a long practiced strategy.
Reducing millions of people to the worst examples that imperialism itself has helped cultivate isn’t an explanation. It’s propaganda.

The working class has nothing to gain from ranking cultures. It has everything to gain from understanding why societies develop as they do, who profits from division, and why the same ruling class that lectures us about ‘civilised values’ has spent generations nurturing the very reactionary forces it now uses to justify war and repression.

The question was never which culture is “better”. The real question is who created the conditions, and who benefits from keeping them that way.

Red Rick

, , , , , ,

3 responses to “John Cleese insists he isn’t racist but….”

  1. Soliman avatar
    Soliman

    Thanks CCP for the as always spot on takes and analysis. Just today I got talking with an older worker who was an ex ship builder for the navy and he echoed the blaming immigrants narrative and that nationalistic war sentiment. I knew someone whose husband worked in the same ship building firm making war ships and more or less as soon as the place got outsourced, he was attending EDL rallies. All that to say, how are we to deal with building class consciousness with more heavily indoctrinated workers ? Seems as if the more capitalism goes into decline, the more the ruling class double down on the divide and rule, and one popular tactic appears to be getting members of the working class to disseminate ruling class agendas, like we see with Tommy Robinson. The mainstream left have little to no answers, other than to continue warehousing immigrants in hotels and voting

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Peter avatar
    Peter

    Brilliantly anatomised. Cleese should try reading the Class Consciousness Project for a few months before revealing his bovinely idiotic convergence with the foulest, most murderous and most mendacious conceits of modern times – the superiority of a nebulous gas of sentimental vapours labelled “Western Civilisation”. He may be a comedic genius, I’ll grant him that, but in the realm of political analysis, as another comic genius might have but it (Frank Kelly as ‘Father Jack’), he’s a “gobshite”. Keep up the great work on this site. Invaluable analysis every time.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Soliman avatar
    Soliman

    Sorry I meant they (mainstream left) advocate voting Labour as the answer. They’ve also got a chunk of the working class who are being attracted to right wing nationalism thinking that communism is all the extreme identity politics stuff and ‘wokeism’, at least in the online world – a lot of those ‘patriot’ auditor comments sections are replete with comments equating Labour to socialism. Wouldn’t surprise me if said content creatures are state assets, as much as they try to claim being anti establishment. A lot of them seem to of made names exploiting vulnerable street people, who they have demonized, but now hopped on the anti immigrant band wagon and claim the former need to be sorted out housing etc but when this has happened previously their the first to moan about ‘benefit scroungers’ and ‘crackies’ plus happy to goad them for ‘likes’ and subscribers. In other words, acting in bad faith, even if the contents is valid. In another era, some of them would of owned plantations and factories.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment