As Israel’s brutal war on Gaza has made clear, understanding colonialism, racism and imperialism is vital for understanding our messed up world. Settler colonial theory, initially established by the academic Patrick Wolf, has become increasingly influential in activist and progressive discussions on these issues.
However there have been growing concerns with how useful settler colonial theory actually is in explaining the nature of colonialism, racism and imperialism today. The theory’s insistence that the key division across the world is between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, that oppression is a product of “whiteness” and its lack of an understanding of how capitalism underpins war and racism are key weaknesses.
This talk will outline a Marxist criticism of the limitations of settler colonial theory, drawing attention to how the theory has had a disorienting impact on developing strategies and movements to fight for a better world.
Jordan Humphreys is the author of Indigenous Liberation & Socialism (Red Flag Books) and numerous articles on colonialism, capitalism and racism for the Marxist Left Review.