Decolonization: From Theory to Practice
Insights from historian Phil Magness
Since October 7th, 2023, we have seen that ideas have consequences in the real world.
Historian Phil Magness joined me on Liberty Curious to discuss his recent work on Critical Race Theory (CRT) and its proliferation in academia and the mainstream, and its connection to the far-left's response to Hamas' massacre of Israeli citizens.
Phil explains how Critical Theory, an offshoot of Marxism, purports to see everything through the triangle of oppression, ie, the most oppressed at the bottom, and the oppressors at the top.
Whether the triangle is based on race, ethnicity, gender, class, the idea remains the same: in order to make up for perceived injustices, past or present, the triangle must be flipped on its head, using any means to justify that end.
“If everything is framed as a power relationship of oppressor vs. the oppressed, there’s only one tool available to change the power relationship.” - Phil Magness
Phil and I explore the ‘colonization’ of Critical Theory and its variations (such as CRT) in academia over the last couple of decades, and how it has trickled out into the mainstream, becoming the dominant way many people view relationships and momentous events.
One such event is the death of George Floyd, which Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar weaponized in 2021 to make comparisons to advance his own triangle of oppression narrative:
"George Floyd was killed as a result of racist ideology...The same type of racism that killed George Floyd is being used by Israel against the Palestinians." - Yahya Sinwar
This episode of Liberty Curious provides an explanation for the West’s overwhelming support for Hamas’ violent “revolution”. Large swathes of the public are seeing things through a Critical Theory lens: the Palestinians are oppressed, colonized, and under attack by Israel, and therefore when “people are occupied, resistance is justified.”
You can also tune into the audio version of Liberty Curious here.
Phillip Magness is an economic historian who specializes in the economic dimensions of slavery and racial discrimination, the history of taxation, and measurements of economic inequality over time. He also maintains an active research interest in higher education policy and the history of economic thought. Magness is Senior Research Faculty and F.A. Hayek Chair in Economics and Economic History at the American Institute for Economic Research.
The decolonial deception. Never saw that connection between the George Floyd movement and Hamas before. Great article.
The photo says it all: socialism and liberation. They're coming for all the colonizers. Couldn't be more obvious.