Anticolonial Eruptions: Racial Hubris and the Cunning of Resistance

This incisive study reveals the fundamental, paradoxical weakness of colonialism and the enduring power of anticolonial resistance. Geo Maher argues that the colonizers weakness is rooted in dehumanization, providing strategic cover for revolutionary possibility and organizing unseen.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 156 pages
Publication date: 29 March 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

This incisive study delves into the profound and paradoxical weakness of colonialism, while also highlighting the enduring power of anticolonial resistance. Resistance manifests itself in various forms, often surprising those in power, particularly when the agents of struggle are the colonized, enslaved, and marginalized. Anticolonial revolts and slave rebellions have frequently been labeled as "eruptions" by those in authority, as they represent volcanic shocks to a system that fails to anticipate or comprehend them.

In his book, Anticolonial Eruptions, Geo Maher identifies a paradoxical weakness inherent in the foundations of white supremacist power. This weakness, he argues, grows as domination appears more complete, resulting in a colonial blind spot that becomes more pronounced. Maher contends that the colonizers' weakness stems from dehumanization, as they view the oppressed and excluded as less-than-human, thereby diminishing the potential for resistance. This colonial blind spot, ironically, is self-imposed, as the more oppressive and expansive the colonial power, the less human the colonized are perceived to be, creating greater opportunities for resistance.

Maher refers to this paradox as the cunning of decolonization, a subtle reversal of the power balance between the oppressor and the oppressed. Where colonial power asserts itself as unshakable, total, and perpetual, a blind spot provides strategic cover for revolutionary possibilities. Where race or gender render the colonized invisible, they organize and mobilize, operating unseen.

Anticolonial Eruptions demonstrates that this fundamental weakness of colonialism is not a mere flaw but rather a permanent feature of the system. It offers grounds for optimism in a contemporary era characterized by global struggles for liberation. By recognizing and addressing the underlying dehumanization that fuels colonialism, we can work towards dismantling the structures of oppression and building a more equitable and just world.

Weight: 192g
Dimension: 140 x 209 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520379367