Postcolonial Theory

[Anonymous No.16792307]

Anything I should read before getting into postcolonial theory? I was thinking of starting with The Wretched of the Earth, then reading Orientalism, since those are the two books that always get mentioned when discussing decolonization, but I'm wondering if there's any more background material that might be useful (other than Hegel and Marx obviously).

[Anonymous No.16792316]

>>16792307
Lenin, Mao, and Stalin’s On The National Question.

[Anonymous No.16792319]

>>16792307
You can't decolonize. "Decolonization" is a colonial concept. As is the language you're speaking and the European authors you use as sources.

[Anonymous No.16792337]

Postcolonial theory summed up:

>Colonized people are not materialist
>They barely care about colonization because it's wordly and temporary
>Introduced to materialism through marx
>WE NEED TO BREAK FREE REEEE

Postcolonial theory is the most vicious aspect of colonization kek. It is how they ended up westernizing themselves, which is why they project so hard onto the west.

[Anonymous No.16792342]

>>16792307
I love when tankies stan Fanon because that shows they haven’t read him, since Fanon explicitly shits on tankies

[Anonymous No.16792360]

>>16792319
"Decolonization" is more a postcolonial concept than anything, granted I don't know a lot of the nuance involved but that's why I made this thread.
>>16792316
Is there a particular book by Lenin I should start with, or just his essay on colonialism? I've been meaning to get into him regardless, since from what I heard Marxist-Leninism seems like the most pragmatic Marxist framework, but I haven't really read any of his stuff.
>>16792342
I think what "shows" I haven't read him is what I wrote in the OP. At least I can read.
>Fanon explicitly shits on tankies
Proofs? Everywhere I'm looking describes him as a Marxist theorist influenced by Lenin's writings.

[Anonymous No.16792375]

>>16792307
Postcolonialism is dumb as fuck and I have no clue why it's such a big thing amongst white leftists.

[Anonymous No.16792378]

>>16792375
white guilt is real

[Anonymous No.16792389]

>>16792342
>tankies
Almost like you don’t have to agree with everything a person says or does to find merit in their works.
>>16792360
Read Development of Capitalism in Russia, What is to be Done, Imperialism, and State and Revolution. You can read his essays on various things if you want, but those four books are the core of Lenin’s thought.

[Anonymous No.16792391]

>>16792360
>I've been meaning to get into him regardless, since from what I heard Marxist-Leninism seems like the most pragmatic Marxist framework, but I haven't really read any of his stuff.
Read the starter writings like Left Wing Communism, Imperialism, State & Rev then move on to smaller essays. Also Marxism-Leninism is NOT the same thing as Marxism or "Leninism" so please don't fall for ML bullshit.
>Proofs? Everywhere I'm looking describes him as a Marxist theorist influenced by Lenin's writings.
Implying "tankie" means being influenced by Marx & Lenin. Tankies don't read Marx or Lenin is the thing. If they did they wouldn't be tankies.

[Anonymous No.16792465]

>>16792389
>>16792391
Thanks, I'll check those out.
>Also Marxism-Leninism is NOT the same thing as Marxism or "Leninism" so please don't fall for ML bullshit.
Elaborate
>Tankies don't read Marx or Lenin is the thing
"Tankie" is a meaningless pejorative used by libertarian socialists/anarchists and right-wingers to describe anyone ascribing to Leninist, Maoist, or Stalinist thought in general. Most of the people I know who would call themselves tankies have read a good bit of theory, regardless of what you think of that theory.
It'd be like saying Christians aren't influenced by the Bible. Like, sure, plenty of them don't read or, and more still read it and misinterpret it, but it's the founding work of their ideology and is part of their very definition, so to say it doesn't influence them is pretty ridiculous. Same thing goes for "tankies."
I'm not a tankie, by the way, at least not yet. I've only read early socialist theory like Marx, Kropotkin, Bakunin, Bookchin, etc.; I self-identify as a Marxist because I think his work is the most central to my beliefs but I'm also in need of a more practical application, so I'm thinking of getting into Leninism/Ho Chi Minh thought.

[Anonymous No.16792729]

>>16792465
>Elaborate
ML = Stalinist
>"Tankie" is a meaningless pejorative used by libertarian socialists/anarchists and right-wingers to describe anyone ascribing to Leninist, Maoist, or Stalinist thought in general.
You were the one using it so I just responded to it. Generally I agree. It's dumb that it's used to describe Maoists when the original usage was specifically referring to people who backed Khrushchev. But the general line of thought, "defending" "revolutions" is described fine by the word. All tankies I've met have been petit-bourgeois kids who have never worked and just defend Stalin to be contrarian. You're right
though perhaps I was harsh in saying none of them have read Lenin or Marx.

[Anonymous No.16792758]

I’d save yourself a lot of time by reading this first. And if you aren’t convinced that basically all postcolonial theory is founded on invalid assumptions, this book will at least guide you towards what the most important writers and texts in the field are.

[Anonymous No.16792787]

>>16792465
Also
>I self-identify as a Marxist because I think his work is the most central to my beliefs but I'm also in need of a more practical application, so I'm thinking of getting into Leninism/Ho Chi Minh thought.
Okay. I think "identifying as a Marxist" is a dumb thing as Marxism is not an ideology for one. Two, I'm not against Lenin which it sounds you're implying. So yes, read Lenin. I also recommend you read Bordiga. Also read up on history so you can see the context in which Lenin was writing. Three, what by Marx have you read so far?