The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean: How Settler Colonial Violence Shaped Antileft Repression

The long relationship between Americas colonizing wars and virulent anticommunism is explored in Tariq D. Khans book, which reveals how the state wielded the tactics, weapons, myths, and ideology refined in the colonizing wars to repress anarchists, labor unions, and other groups labeled as alien, multi-racial, multi-ethnic urban rabble. The ruling classes considered radicals of all stripes to be anticolonial insurgents, and capitalists and the government used counterinsurgency rhetoric and tactics against them.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 05 September 2023
Publisher: University of Illinois Press

The intricate and enduring relationship between the Americas' colonizing wars and the emergence of virulent anticommunism is a subject that requires careful exploration. Tariq D. Khan's insightful analysis sheds light on the profound connections between these historical events and the subsequent development of anticommunist repression in the United States. Khan reveals that the bloodshed and class warfare that characterized the colonizing wars against Native Americans served as the foundation for the repressive tactics employed by the state to suppress various marginalized groups. These tactics included the use of state-sanctioned violence, propaganda, and the manipulation of myths and ideologies to demonize and marginalize those labeled as alien, multi-racial, or multi-ethnic urban rabble.

Khan's analysis demonstrates how the ruling classes viewed radicals of all stripes as anticolonial insurgents, regardless of their specific political beliefs or ideologies. The red scares that began in the 1840s serve as a poignant example of this mindset, as capitalists and the government employed counterinsurgency rhetoric and tactics to suppress movements they perceived as threats to their interests. These movements, often characterized as "anarchist," were vilified and subjected to intense surveillance and repression.

The Republic Shall Be Kept Clean offers a fresh and compelling perspective on this historical narrative, providing an enlightening new history with profound relevance for our contemporary times. Khan's bold arguments and meticulous research shed light on the complex web of factors that contributed to the rise of anticommunism and its enduring impact on American society. Through his analysis, Khan challenges the conventional narratives that have been perpetuated about these historical events and offers a more nuanced and complex understanding of their significance.

This book is a valuable contribution to the field of history and social studies, as it provides a deeper understanding of the historical roots of contemporary social and political issues. It serves as a reminder of the importance of examining the past to inform our present and to work towards a more just and equitable society. By exploring the long relationship between Americas colonizing wars and virulent anticommunism, Khan offers a valuable lesson in the dangers of historical amnesia and the need to confront the legacies of oppression and violence that continue to shape our world.

Weight: 444g
Dimension: 154 x 233 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780252087431