Thread by @aurorachaang

mycelium - notes on imperialism

in online leftist spaces the overlap between solidarity for victims of western imperialism and solidarity for victims of non-western imperialism appears diminishingly small. the same is true of activist spaces i'm involved with in real life. 1/

i dislike binaries, but here i use this one - western vs. non-western - because it's the same that many anglophone leftists choose to adopt in their worldview. this binary is violent, a product of a long history of colonialisms and imperialisms that as leftists we are 2/

presumed to be most familiar with - that of western european colonial powers and the modern american empire. it is this same worldview that informs the echelon of anti-usa, anti-nato, anti-west leftists who are willing to 3/

sacrifice ukrainians, syrians, hong kongers, tibetans, uyghurs, indigenous peoples under russian and chinese occupation, taiwanese etc. at the altar of an imagined, morally pure form of "decolonisation" and "anti-imperialism." 4/

syrian writer leila al-shami writes of an "anti-imperialism of idiots" - that group of self-proclaimed leftists who equate imperialism with the actions of the usa alone, and in the process fall in with fascist states sporting minimally "socialist" aesthetics. 5/9

"This pro-fascist left seems blind to any form of imperialism that is non-western in origin... Everything that happens is viewed through the prism of what it means for westerners – only white men have the power to make history." (Leila Al-Shami) 6/9

i reject this binary worldview which plagues the anglosphere left. the palestinian cause is linked to the syrian cause is linked to the ukrainian cause is linked to the uyghur cause, and so forth, because imperialism doesn't actually discriminate between 7/9

western and non-western victims, and the us, western europe, israel, china, russia etc. can all be as bad as each other. decolonial and anti-imperialist solidarity means we stand with all oppressed peoples, so we go back to that tired old saying - 8/9

none of us are free until all of us are free. 9/9

hi yes this is me coming back from a low-key depression and breakup induced twitter hiatus! i drew the cover image on procreate (⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠)