The Limits of Liberalism - Counterfire

1/12/2015 ThelimitsofliberalismCounterfire

http://www.counterfire.org/articles/analysis/17606charliehebdokillingsandthelimitsofliberalism 1/15

Liberal responses to the Paris killings are fuelling a cycle fromwhich both the right and the terrorists will gain, argues John Rees

Therecanrarelyhavebeenatimewhenfreedomofspeechhasbeensowidelyproclaimedandsolittleunderstood.Ofcourseeveryoneclaims,andnonemorehonestlythantheleft,todefendfreedomofspeech.Butinfact,oncloserexamination,almostnoonebelievesinunlimitedfreespeech,certainlynotthoseestablishmentvoicesmostloudlyproclaimingitrightnow.

The limits of liberalismJanuary11,2015 WrittenbyJohnRees PublishedinAnalysis

'CharlieHebdo'solidarityprotestinNewYork'sUnionSquare.PhotobyPeteVoelker

Tweet 19 255Like Share



Thegovernmentdonotbelieve,forinstance,infreespeechfor'hatepreachers'.Indeedtheydonotevenbelievethatthedueprocessoflawshouldbeappliedtothem.Thegovernmentbelievesindeportationandtrialswithnojury.PreviousgovernmentsinternedIrishRepublicanswithouttrialandbannedGerryAdamsfromspeakingontheBBC.NoristheFrenchgovernmentinfavourofawomen'srighttoexpressherselfbywearingaburka,illegalinFrance.NordoesitsupporttherighttoprotestinfavourofPalestine,bannedforaperiodlastsummerinFrance.OrtherightofMuslimstoprayinthestreet,nowillegalinFrance.TheTorygovernmentheredoesnotevenbelievethattradeunionsshouldbeallowedtheunfetteredrighttostrike.

Butneitherdoestheleftbelieveintheunlimitedrighttofreespeech.Manyontheleftdonotbelievethatfascistshavetherighttofreespeech,forinstance.Thisparadoxpointstothefactthatthedefenceoffreedomofspeechhasalwaystobeaccompaniedbythesequestions:whosefreedomofspeech?Tosaywhat?Inwhatcontext?Andforwhatpurpose?

Thisthoughtisembodiedintheoldrhetoriciansdevice:whenisitpermissibletoshout'Fire!'.TodosointhemiddleofSalisburyplainmaybeeccentric,butitisharmless.Todosoinahousewherethereisafiremaysavelives.Todosoinacrowdedcinemawhenthereisnofiremaycausethelossoflife.Thefirsttwoexamplesaredefensible,thethirdshouldbeimpermissible.

A little historical context

Historicalcontextisjustasimportant.Freedomofspeech(andprintingandorganisation,withoutwhichfreedomofspeechisneutered)effectivelyenteredhistoryintheEnglishandFrenchrevolutionsin,respectively,the17 and18 centuries.Importantly,intheEnglishRevolution,itwasestablishedtoanimportantdegreetoachievereligioustoleration(thoughnotforCatholicsupportersofRoyalism).Freedomofspeechwerethewatchwordsoftheoppressedandexcluded,oftherevolutionaries,againstthearistocraticelite.Itwasestablishedbytheuseofrevolutionaryforceandthesubsequentsuppressionofcounterrevolution~notafactbeingrecalledbytoday'sadvocatesoflibert,galit,fraternit.

Thosewhoclaimthattherevolutionestablishedunlimitedfreedomofspeechandmilitantsecularismsimplydontknowtheirhistory.Articles10and11oftheDeclarationoftheRightsofManandoftheCitizenread:Nooneshallbedisquietedonaccountofhisopinions,includinghisreligiousviews,providedtheirmanifestationdoesnotdisturbthepublicorderestablishedbylawandthatthefreecommunicationofideasandopinionstobeoneofthemostpreciousoftherightsofman.Everycitizenmaythereforespeak,write,andprintwithfreedom,butshallberesponsibleforsuchabusesofthisfreedomasshallbedefinedbylaw.SoinfacttheDeclarationdefendedreligioustolerationandlimitedtheabuseoffreedomofspeechbylaw.

Sincetheirrevolutionarypointoforiginin1789thenewrulersofthemodernworldhaveusedthe

th th



sloganoffreedomofspeechbut,insofarastheywereable,deniedittothenewclassoftheexcluded,theworkingclass,andtheoppressedandtonewgenerationsofradicals.

That'swhythereisnostraightlineofdescentfromtheFrenchRevolutiontotheFrenchstatetoday.Today'sFrenchstateisasmuchtheproductofthecounterrevolutionasoftherevolution,ofthecrushingoftheParisCommune,ofthefilthyandcontinuinghistoryofFrenchcolonialism,oftheDreyfusaffair,ofVichycollaborationwiththeNazis,ofthebarelydemocraticstateofDeGaulle,andofmodernpersecutionofMuslims.ItisagainstallthisthattheFrenchlefthashadtofightthe'inheritorsoftheFrenchrevolution'todefendthefreedomsproclaimedin1789.

Sowhoinourworldreallystandsinneedoffreedomofspeechandwhoisabusingthesloganoffreedomofspeechinordertodefendtheirownpowerandwealth?Whohaspowerandwhodoesnot?

CertainlyEurope'sMuslimcommunitiesareamongtheleastpowerful.Theyare,ofcourse,someMuslimswhoarebothwhiteandwealthy.Someevenhavetokenpositionsingovernment.Butthevastmajorityarepoor,frequentlythepoorest,brownskinnedanddiscriminatedagainst.

ThestockneoracistargumentisthatMuslimscannotbevictimsofracismbecauseIslamisareligionnotanethniccategory.Andmanyliberalsgoalongwiththis,claimingtheyarecriticalofreligiousviewsnotofaperson'srace.ButinfactreligionactsasaproxyforraceinthiscasesincemostMuslimsinEuropearenonwhite.Ofcourse,inothercountrieswheretheMuslim'sareinpowerandhavetheleversofthestateintheirhandsitisadifferentmatter.CopticChristiansaretheoppressedminorityinEgypt,KurdsinTurkey,andsoon.InSunniSaudiArabiaShiasareoppressed,justas,firstProtestantsthenCatholics,wereoncediscriminatedagainstinEngland.

AndontopofthedomesticdiscriminationandpovertyMuslimsinEuropehaveseentheirrelativesandfriends,theircoreligionistsandfellownationalsmurderedinindustrialquantitiesbyWesternmilitaryinterventioninAfghanistan,Iraq,Libya,Syria,Yemen,Somaliaandothersplaces.Andthosearejustthecountriesmostaffectedbythewaronterror,nevermindthelongerandevenbloodierhistoryofWesterncolonialism.Andwhilethekillinggoeson,thereligionoftheseverysamepeopleisthenblamedasthecauseofconflictsinwhichtheyaremostnumerousvictims.

AndhowcouldanyoneinthesecommunitieshavethepowertoanswerRupertMurdochrecentstatementthatallMuslimsaretoblameforthe'cancer'ofterrorism?Whatglobalnewsnetworkcantheysetinmotiontoreply?Thetruthisthat'freedomofspeech'isnotalevelplayingfield,itismuchmoreavailabletothestateandtherichthantothepoorandtheoppressed.

Liberalsneverseemtogetthis.Theyneverseemtoseethatallabstractequalrightsare



underminedbyeconomicandsocialinequality.AsAnatoleFranceputit:'Initsmajesticequality,thelawforbidsrichandpooraliketosleepunderbridges,beginthestreetsandstealloavesofbread'.

Andsothisishowweshouldevaluateclaimstobeservingfreedomofspeech:arethoseclaimingthisrightactingtomagnifythevoiceofthevoiceless...ortoservethosewhowishtokeepthemsilent.CharlieHebdo'sracistcaricaturesofMuslims,nomatterwhattheythoughttheyweredoing,servedthosewhowishtokeeptheoppressedmarginalised.

InresponsetothekillingsatCharlieHebdosomeonthelefthavegoneontocrossthelinebetweenabsolutecondemnationofthekillingstosupportthecontentofthemagazine,arguingthattheyarepartofthesecularisttraditionsinFrance.

ButthissecularistLaiciteview,althoughitmayhaveitsrootsinthebourgeoisrevolutions'oppositiontoreligion,hasacompletelyothermeaninginmodernFrance.ItispartoftheideologythatseekstosuppressreligiousbeliefamongMuslimsandotherimmigrants.ItservestobindthepopulationideologicallytotheFrenchstate.

But,replysomeontheleft,especiallywouldbeMarxists,weareatheistsand,liketheliberalsecularists,enemiesofreligion.NothingcouldbeacrudercaricatureofMarxism.ItistruethataMarxist,likeLaplacewhenaskedbyNapoleonwhyhedidnothaveaplaceforGodinhissystem,canreply'Ihavenoneedforthathypothesis.'ButthatisonlythestartoftheproblembecauseMarxistsarematerialistsbeforeweareatheists.Weunderstandthatreligionwillnotbeabolishedbyrationalistargumentorsecularistrantsagainstreligion,alaRichardDawkins.

Marx and religion

ForMarxreligiousbeliefwasareactiontooppressionandalienation:Religioussufferingis,atoneandthesametime,theexpressionofrealsufferingandaprotestagainstrealsuffering.Religionisthesighoftheoppressedcreature,theheartofaheartlessworld,andthesoulofsoullessconditions.Forthisreason,asJamesMeadwayhasargued,therewillbenomomentofsecularistconversionbeforetherevolutionafterwhichthemassesgomarchingforwardtovictory.ItwasforpreciselythisillusionthatMarxattackedtheYoungHegelians.Therevolution,andeverystrugglebeforeit,willbemadebyaworkersfrommanydifferentfaithsandnone.

But,ifthisistrue,thenwemustaskanotherevenmoreconcretequestion,onethatneverseemstooccurtotheabstract'Marxist'secularists:whichreligiousgroups,underwhichcircumstances,canbedrawnintoprogressivepoliticsandwhichreligiousgroupsstandforreactionarypolitics?

Amomentsthoughtrevealsthatamoresophisticatedanalysisisneededthanmeresecularisminordertoanswerthisquestion.Atdifferenttimesindifferentconditionsreligionscanplaydifferent

th



rolespolitically.PuritanismwasarevolutionaryforceintheEnglishrevolutionofthe17 century,butnottoday.Eventhesamereligioncanplaydifferentrolesindifferentconditions.CatholicLiberationtheologyhasrecentlyplayedaprogressiveroleinLatinAmerica,buttheCatholicchurchisareactionaryforceinItaly.InIrelandthatCatholicChurchingeneralhasbeenareactionaryforce,butCatholicismhaslongbeenassociatedwithIrishRepublicanism.

ThiskindofdifferentiationneedstobeappliedtoMuslims.TheSaudiregimeisentirelyreactionary,andoneofthekeyresourcesforboththeideologyandorganisationoftheIslamicState.ItisalsoalongstandingallyoftheWesterngovernments.TheIslamicStateisareactionarycounterrevolutionaryforcewhichhasrisentoprominencebecauseofthefailureofboththewaronterrorandtheArabrevolutions.

ButtheoverwhelmingmajorityofMuslimsinEuropehavenothingtodowiththisideology.FormostMuslimsintheWesttheirreligiongenerallystressespeaceandsocialjustice.Theyareoverwhelminglypoorandworkingclass.EvenmanyofMuslimsmallbusinesspeoplearepoor,runningconcernsthatdependonthecustomoftheworkingclassMuslimsintheareaswheretheyoperate.Andtheyhavebeenopentoinvolvementinprogressivemovements,especiallytheantiwarmovement.Ofcourse,wheretheleftturnsitsbackontheminthenameofrejectingreligion,otherforces,fromthepoliticalestablishmentthroughtotheextremeIslamicists,willgainahearing.

TheKouachibrotherswhocarriedouttheattackonCharlieHebdoareaclassicexampleofthis.Theywereorphans,poor,andfromanAlgerianbackground(withallthatmeansintermsofracisminFrance,explainedbrilliantlybyRobertFisk).Theyworkedinlowpaidjobsand,oneofthem,dreamtofbecomingarapper.Theywereinvolvedincrimeanddidprisontime.Eventuallytheyfound,asmanydo,meaninginreligion.ThebrutalitiesofAbuGhraibandtheIraqwarturnedthemintoterrorists,thetoolsofareactionaryformofIslam.

Theright(andthesecularistLiberals)arekeentoblameIslamforthis.Theymistaketheformofexpressionwiththecause.MostMuslimsaren'tterroristsanddonotsupportterrorists.Butsomedo.Why?

Itsratherlikethis:imagineacrowded,lockedroom.Imaginethatsomeoneoutsidetheroomisconstantlyincreasingthetemperatureintheroom.Sometrappedintheroomwillfaintbeforeothers.Somewillpanic.Somewillremaincalm.Inoursocietythetemperaturerisesbecauseofracism,povertyandimperialwar.Somelashoutinreactionaryways,othersdonot.Butthefirstfaultlieswiththoserampingupthetemperature.Thesecondfaultlieswiththosewhocondemnallthoseintheroomratherthanformulateastrategytobreakoutoftheroom.

SlavojZizekhas,inpart,capturedthismutuallyreenforcingdynamicbetweenIslamicterrorismandliberalism:

th



Thisistrue...butonlyatthelevelofideology.Thematerialforcesthatembodythesetwoideologiesarebynomeansequal.TotheextentthatIslamicextremismistheideologyoftinynumbersofMuslimsinEuropeithasnothingoftheforceoftheentiremedia,educationalandstateapparatusesthatsustainliberalismandtheright.EvenifweincludeentirestatesandnonstateactorsintheMiddleEast,theGulfstatesandISIS,theyareeconomicallyandmilitarilymuchweakerelementsintheworldsystemcomparedtotheUSstatemachineanditsallies.

AndZizek'ssolutionisalsoonlyabstractlycorrect:

ButiftheleftistowinthisbattleonethingthatithastodoisconstructanalternativeformofradicalpoliticswiththoseintheMuslimcommunitywhorejectracism,povertyandwar.ThereisnosensethatZizekunderstandsthis.TheonlyMuslimstowhichherefersaretheextremists.Indeedwhathehastosayonthissubjectisimbuedwithjusttheliberalattitudeshedenounces.Hearguesthatourthinkingshouldhave'nothingwhatsoevertodowiththecheaprelativisationofthecrime(themantraof"whoareweintheWest,perpetratorsofterriblemassacresintheThirdWorld,tocondemnsuchacts").IthasevenlesstodowiththepathologicalfearofmanyWesternliberalLeftiststobeguiltyofIslamophobia.ForthesefalseLeftists,anycritiqueofIslamisdenouncedasanexpressionof'WesternIslamophobia.'

ButdenouncingthosewhopointtotheculpabilityofimperialismandthedangersofIslamophobiaisactuallytherightliberalposition(ofIanMcEwanandDavidAaronovitch)againstleftliberals,notaMarxistcritiqueofboth.StuckwithhisabstractionsZizekfailstoseethatconcretely,inthelives

'Fundamentalismisareactionafalse,mystifying,reaction,ofcourseagainstarealflawofliberalism,andthisiswhyitisagainandagaingeneratedbyliberalism...TothinkinresponsetothePariskillingsmeanstodropthesmugselfsatisfactionofapermissiveliberalandtoacceptthattheconflictbetweenliberalpermissivenessandfundamentalismisultimatelyafalseconflictaviciouscycleoftwopolesgeneratingandpresupposingeachother'.

'Lefttoitself,liberalismwillslowlyundermineitselftheonlythingthatcansaveitscorevaluesisarenewedLeft.Inorderforthiskeylegacytosurvive,liberalismneedsthebrotherlyhelpoftheradicalLeft.THISistheonlywaytodefeatfundamentalism,tosweepthegroundunderitsfeet'...'WhatMaxHorkheimerhadsaidaboutFascismandcapitalismalreadybackin1930sthosewhodonotwanttotalkcriticallyaboutcapitalismshouldalsokeepquietaboutFascismshouldalsobeappliedtotodaysfundamentalism:thosewhodonotwanttotalkcriticallyaboutliberaldemocracyshouldalsokeepquietaboutreligiousfundamentalism.'



Ifyouenjoyedthisarticleplease DONATE TO COUNTERFIRE

whosefamiliesandfriendsdiethereisindeednoequivalencebetweenthenumberskilledbyterrorismandthosewhodiefromimperialistwar.NeitheristhereanyequivalencebetweenthestateandmediasponsoredwaveofIslamophobiaandoppositiontoIslamophobia.

ThereistoomuchrelianceonidealistoppositionofconceptualformsandtoolittleMarxistmaterialistdialectic,letaloneMarxistpoliticalactivism,inZizek'sanalysis.Thisisnosurprise.Zizekisafterallmerelyaphilosopherandnotapoliticalactivist,whereasitisdefinitionalofbeingaMarxistthatoneisboth.InshortZizekmerelycounterposesideallytherevivalofthelefttothemutuallyreenforcingfailuresofliberalismandterrorism.Buthehasnoideawhatpracticalalliancesandformsofpoliticalactivityarenecessaryinordertodothis.

Infact,aswestandtoday,thesearenotdifficulttosee.Theleftmustseekallianceswithallthose,includingliberalsandMuslimswithwhomwehavedifferencesofanalysis,againstracism,warandpoverty.Thesemustbeactive,practicalmovements,nottalkingshops.Wemustsayclearlythatthemajorforcesthatareraisingthesocialtemperaturearethestate,thecorporationsandthepoliticalelite.TheIslamicextremists(andthefarright)areareactionaryproductofthiscrisis,aproductwhichworsensthecrisis,mostofallforMuslims.Westandagainstboth.Butoneoftheseenemiesismuchmorepowerful,andthereforemoreculpable,thantheother.Thatenemyistheglobalcapitalistsystemanditsstateapparatuses.

Featuredlinks:

SyrizaTshirt'Syriza:GreekForHope'tshirtfromPhilosophyFootball

Marxinaday

PhotofromVice



Radicaldayschool.7Feb,London.

JoinCounterfireHelpusremakesocialistpoliticsforthe21stcentury

Taggedunder:

Marx Marxism Islamophobia France Terrorism Liberalism

Religion

John Rees

JohnReesisawriter,broadcasterandactivist,andisoneoftheorganisersofthePeoplesAssembly.HisbooksincludeTheAlgebraofRevolution,ImperialismandResistance,Timelines,APoliticalHistoryoftheModernWorld,ThePeople

Demand,AShortHistoryoftheArabRevolutions(withJosephDaher)andAPeoplesHistoryofLondon(withLindseyGerman).HeiscofounderoftheStoptheWarCoalition.

MORE ARTICLES FROM THIS AUTHORAgraphicaccountofterrorism

ThereturnofthePartymember?

Berlin:thewallthatcamedownandthewallsthatwentup

JohnRees:KobanecanbesavedifTurkeyopensitsbordertoKurds

Timelines:APoliticalHistoryoftheModernWorld

ThewaytostoptheIslamicStateisaunited,freeKurdistanjustwhattheUSdoesnotwant

SettingtherecordstraightfortheGuardian



CharlieHebdotragedy:puttingfreespeechincontext5comments3daysago

LeonardLiuHeneversaysthatconsequencesmustbebeingshot.Youaredistorting

Parismassacre:backlashandblowback20comments5daysago

AlastairKnoxSoit'scivilisedtostoneprostitutestodeathinthemostcruelwayimaginable

ThescandalthathasbecomepartofthefestivalofChristmas2commentsamonthago

DaveHTheproblemisthatwenolongerhaveanyonewithanyrealpowerIEapoliticalparty

Graphic:Islamistterroraccountsforonly0.7%of13comments3daysago

BIRRsimon:Thisispurehorseshitandyouknowit!YoupostedthetableonARRESTS,

ALSOONCOUNTERFIRE

2Comments Counterfire Login

SortbyNewest Share

Jointhediscussion

Reply

DanielFactor 17hoursago"Andmanyliberalsgoalongwiththis,claimingtheyarecriticalofreligiousviewsnotofaperson'srace.ButinfactreligionactsasaproxyforraceinthiscasesincemostMuslimsinEuropearenonwhite"

Soiscriticismofreligiousviewracist?Evenreligiousviewswhicharedangerous?2

Reply

PaulLawrenceHayes 2hoursago>DanielFactorObviouslynotbuttheauthordidn'tclaimitisandsincethehighMuslimnonwhitecorrelationisrealandthepotentialforusingreligionasaproxyisthere,itisatleastplausiblethatmanyliberals[have]insincerelyorinaccuratelyclaim[ed]nottobemotivatedbyracismwhencriticisingreligiousviews,isitnot?

WHAT'STHIS?

Subscribe AddDisqustoyoursited Privacy

Favorite

Share

Share

BLOGCOMMENTSPOWEREDBYDISQUS



SEARCH

SUBSCRIBE

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER

LIKE OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

CounterfireYoulikethis.

Youand9,760otherslikeCounterfire.

Facebooksocialplugin

Like

GET COUNTERFIRE DAILY

SignupforadailymailoutofthelatestarticlespublishedonCounterfire

RELATED ARTICLES

EmailAddress*

Greece: when fear meets a movement of hope



13

2

7

COUNTERFIRE EVENTS

York:ThePeopleversusthe1%

Newcastle:APeople'sHistoryofDemocracy

London:Marxinaday

MOVEMENT EVENTS

FergusonUSAtoUKSolidarityTour

01/11/2015 ByKevinOvenden

Charlie Hebdo murders: what'smissing from the media narrative?

01/11/2015 ByLindseyGerman

The Right in Greece: cornered, butfighting for its life


Twelve illuminating contributionsto debate in wake of Paris killings

01/10/2015 ByAlexSnowdon

Greece: every cookis debating


JAN

FEB

FEB

JAN



24

24

31

31

5

12

22

28

31

31

SUBSCRIBE

(Luton)

WrapUpTrident:massdemoinLondon

MarchforHomesEastLondon

MarchforHomesSouthLondon

People'sAssemblyQuestionTimeNewcastle

LOCAL MOVEMENT EVENTS

NotoIslamophobia,RacismandFascism

OurWestHendon:meeting,bannerdrop,marchandrally

NorthLondon:Tacklingthehousingcrisis

BoatersBlocatMarchforHomes

Makesomenoiseagainstpoverty!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR RSS FEED

Enteryouremailaddress:

JAN

JAN

JAN

FEB

JAN

JAN

JAN

JAN

JAN



MOVEMENT LINKS

COUNTERFIRE TRANSLATIONS

ShakerAamer'scontinueddetentioninGuantnamoshamesusall

Petition:NoBritishbaseinBahrain

Petition:FoylesPayallworkersatleasttheLondonLivingWage

FreearrestedHongKongunionleaders!

Petition:StopBorisJohnsonscutstoeducation&youthservices!

AdamRamsey:ToryMinistersandDodgyAccountantsAreRuiningLocalDemocracy

Petition:keeprentsatarateaffordabletoexistingtenantsontheNewEraEstate

SerboCroat:Dispatchesfromhope:aprimerontheGreekelection

Farsi:Imperialism,antiimperialismandsocialism,fromImperialismandResistanceJohnRees

SerboCroat:Ukraine:betweenRussiaandtheWestAlastairStephens

French:KshamaSawantandAmericanLaborsnewvoiceAlastairStephens

Farsi:JohnReesradiointerviewtheroadfromJerusalemtoCairo

Farsi:TheriseandriseoftheIslamicStateSamiRamadani

Swedish:Palestine:theonlysolutionisnowtheonestatesolution



BOOKS

COUNTERFIRE BOOKS

The ABC of Socialism

ByJohnRees

Buyonline

Strategy and tactics: how theleft can organise to transformsociety

ByJohnRees

Buyonline

Capitalism and ClassConsciousness: the ideas ofGeorg Lukacs

ByChrisNineham

Buyonline

The People Demand: A shorthistory of the Arab revolutions

ByJohnReesandJosephDaher

Buyonline



twitter facebook

youtube

Producedby@adycousins

The people v. Tony Blair : Politics,the media and the anti-warmovement

CHRISNINEHAM

Stitched up: The Anti-CapitalistBook of Fashion

TANSYHOSKINS

The Limits of Liberalism - Counterfire

Documents

Transcript of The Limits of Liberalism - Counterfire