The Conception of Race

Race, as any sane person understanding it would know, has a dual basis— biological and social; the contradiction between the two is ofcourse ever present but some, in order to cover up for their own subtle Racism, deny the fact that the Principal aspect of Race is not biological but actually social and ideological. This article is an effort to understand this through the example of coverage of Russian politics since the Russo-Japanese War to recent coverage in the wake of the Imperialist invasion of Ukraine.

Allow me to first explain the example I'm taking, the explanation will be succeeded by an elaboration of my point. The constraints of time certainly limit me to trace back newspapers to the Russo-Japanese War, so instead I shall use political narratives for this one period; continuing on these lines we will find that during this period and even more after the defeat of Russia at the hands of Japan we see that there were political calls for all "European" states to unite in defence of the White man, if we step back a little then we will find strong calls in the UK back then sever all ties with Japan and declare war on them to defend the European brethren of the British and Irish people (under the pretext of the Anglo-Japanese alliance in the region).

If we move just move 4 decades ahead into the future we see these same political ideologies, factions and parties(along with the press mind you) that were demanding that the UK withdraw from the War against the Nazis and help the Nazis in their mission to "cleanse" the USSR of the Bolshevik threat; since 1917 the demonisation of Soviet citizens was present alongside "Asianification" of Russians as suddenly the West realised of the Asian roots of the Russian people. There were also efforts to differentiate between the ancestral roots of the Eastern Europeans and Western Europeans, with studies suddenly finding and academics realising that the Western Europeans(wait for it) were more "European" than their Eastern counterparts— who were more Asian because of Mongolian and Turk influence.

Now let us fast forward to the early 90s and the fall of the Soviet Union, as Russia(against the will of it's own citizens) seceded from the Union, they were termed as "civilised" hardworking people who understand and accept the European values of Liberty and Freedom and thus the ones who shall break the "oppressive" chains of the Soviet Union and become, once again, equals of their Western Counterparts. The East European countries of the Soviet bloc breaking off first was also seen as result of their much closer links to European values. The West never saw the Cold War as a war waged on the International Working but rather as a clash of civilisations— one barbaric, the other civilised; the end of this period was seen and celebrated as a victory of civilised values of Europe over the barbaric and oppressive values of the East(here being Communism).

The recent invasion of Ukraine has once again led people to realise the apparently Asian roots of the Russian people and compare modern day Russia to Mongols, a comparison used to depict his aggressive and barbaric policies. Once again Russia has been "Asianised" but this time the Eastern European state of Ukraine is no more "half-European" or "less European" but it has now become as European one can become, with this invasion being termed as a direct attack on European Civilisation(by whom would be an interesting question). This inconsistency is not limited Russia or Eastern Europe, make no mistake, for it extends itself to East Asia too— China before the 78 reforms was covered as a barbaric civilisation which couldn't keep up with Western modernity and must be civilised( like their counterparts in Taiwan) but throughout the 90s and early 2000s they were seen as an example of Asian modernity and also ideal role model for other Asian states, if we then move to the time when China has challenged Western hegemony over the world with it's own opposing Imperialist sphere we find that it has once again become a barbaric and selfish civilisation that needs Western modernity. Japan can also be taken as an example.

Now you must have noticed a pattern in the examples I've put forth here, that one's race or their said position in the race depends on their alignment with Western Capital. This is facilitated by the fact that Europe was the first continent to go through industrialisation which provided a material base that could facilitate this conception of Europeans being the civilised race and it has continued (rather expanded with globalisation); countries like Japan and South Korea are seen as role models for the Non-European races while USSR, China, DPRK and Russia are seen as savage brutes. In colonies, like India, the Compradors of these Imperialists are seen as the role models for the country, the civilised people of the who are on a crusade to civilise the others too; such is the definition of civilised for our Western Counterparts.

Today the people of the oppressed Continents are being told by their exploiters(Western Imperialists and their Compradors) that they are uncivilised savages and must become obedient slaves(like South Korea, Taiwan and India amongst other Semi-Colonies) if they are to be civilised, but we have a choice— we can choose to reject this hollow civility of the West which is stained with the blood of billions, instead we can build a civility of our own which will comprise of the principles of Cooperation and Democratic Participation instead of exploitation and imperial domination, we can build an International Community of Equals based on and guided by Working Class Unity and Solidarity, struggling together as equals against Capitalism and it's crusaders around the world.

In the streets!
In the fight!
Workers of the World Unite!