False Heroism k

8/18/2019 False Heroism k

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1nc – kritik

The call for the ballot is an attempt to win the battle while forfeiting the war ---they factionalize and fracture momentum necessary to spur meaningful and

adequate change on increasingly complex social issuesKA!"#$ %&&' (Michael Karlberg, Assistant Professor of Communication at Western Washington University, PEACE & CHA!E, v"#, n$, %uly, ' $$)*+!rante-, social activists -o ./in. occasional 0battles1 in these a-versarial arenas, but the rootcauses of their concerns largely remain unaddressed an- the larger (wars( arguablyare not going well) Consi-er the case of environmental activism' Countless environmental rotests, lobbies, an- la/suits mounte- inrecent generations throughout the Western /orl-' Many small victories have been /on' 2et environmental -egra-ation continues to accelerate at a ratethat far outaces the highly circumscribe- a-vances ma-e in these limite- battles the most committe- environmentalists ac3no/le-ge things are not

going /ell' 4n a--ition, a-versarial strategies of social change embo-y assumtions that have internalconse5uences for social movements, such as internal factionalization) 6or instance, virtually allof the social ro7ects of the .left1 throughout the "8th century have suffere- from recurrent internalfactionali9ation' :he oening -eca-es of the century /ere mar3e- by olitical infighting among vanguar- communist revolutionaries' :hemi--le -eca-es of the century /ere mar3e- by theoretical -isutes among leftist intellectuals' :he century;s closing -eca-es have

been mar3e- by the fracturing of the a new left un-er the centrifugal ressures of i-entity olitics'Un-erlying this attern of infighting an- factionali9ation is the ten-ency to interret -ifferencesurrero-uctive an- technological success as a secies has le- to con-itions of unrece-ente- inter-een-ence, an- no grou on the lanet is isolate- any

longer' Un-er these ne/ con-itions, new strategies not only are possible but are essential) Humanity has become a single inter-een-ent social bo-y' 4n or-er to meet the comle= social an- environmental challenges no/facing us, /e must learn to coor-inate our collective actions' 2et a bo-y cannot coor-inate its actions as long as its.left. an- is .right,. or its .north. an- its .south,. or its .east. an- its ./est. are loc3e- in a-versarial relationshis'

*oting aff is ultimately a simulation of real change --- it produces change no morethan +oting negati+e for the same ,ustifications does but their claim that it createssome sort of tangible difference positions the ,udge as an agent of counterfeitreform and pseudo-progress

.!!.A/0 %k (Christoher ?' Williams, Ph@, forensic sychology, rofessor an- chairman of the @eartment of Criminal %ustice tu-iesat Bra-ley University, Bruce A' Arrigo, Ph@, a-ministration of 7ustice, rofessor of criminology, la/, an- society, @eartment of Criminal %ustice an-Criminology at the University of orth Carolina, 6aculty Associate in the Center for Professional an- Alie- Ethics, 0:he (4mPossibility of@emocratic %ustice an- the !iftD of the Ma7ority,1 %ournal of Contemorary Criminal %ustice, ol' +F, o' $, August "888, gs' $"+)$*$:he ime-iments to establishing -emocratic 7ustice in contemorary American society have cause- a national aralysisG one that has rec3lessly

sa/ne- an aoretic+ e=istence for minorities'

:he entrenche-

i-eological comle=ities afflicting un-er) an-

nonreresente- grous (e'g', overty, unemloyment, illiteracy, crime at the han-s of olitical, legal, cultural, an-economic o/er elites have ro-uce- counterfeit, erhas even frau-ulent, efforts at reform @iscrimination an- ine5ualityin oortunity revail (e'g', Iynch & Patterson, +F' :he mi sgui-e- an- futile initiatives of the state, in ursuit oftranscen-ing this ublic affairs crisis, have fostere- a reification, that is, a reinforcement of -ivisiveness' :his time, ho/ever,minority grous comete /ith one another for recognition, affirmation, an- i-entity in the national collective syche (?osenfel-, +$' Whatensues by /ay of state effort, though, is a contemoraneous sense of e5uality for all an- a near imercetible en-orsement of ine5ualityG a silent conviction that the ma7ority still retains o/er' :he 0gift1 of e5uality, rocure- through statelegislative enactments as an emblem of -emocratic 7ustice, embo-ies true (legitimate- o/er that


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remains nervously secure in the han-s of the ma7ority' :he ostensible emo/erment of minoritygrous is a faca-eG it is the ruse of the ma7ority gift' hat exists in fact, is a simulacrum (Bau-rillar-, +#+, +#$ of equality (an- by e=tension, -emocratic 7ustice a pseudo-sign image (a hyerte=t or simulationof real sociopolitical progress)

This proscription to the economy of the ballot initiates a form of charity that

indebts the aff team to the ,udge and is the same system that reinforces theempowerment of those within hegemonic roles of power

.!!.A/0 %k (Christoher ?' Williams, Ph@, forensic sychology, rofessor an- chairman of the @eartment of Criminal %ustice tu-iesat Bra-ley University, Bruce A' Arrigo, Ph@, a-ministration of 7ustice, rofessor of criminology, la/, an- society, @eartment of Criminal %ustice an-Criminology at the University of orth Carolina, 6aculty Associate in the Center for Professional an- Alie- Ethics, 0:he (4mPossibility of@emocratic %ustice an- the !iftD of the Ma7ority,1 %ournal of Contemorary Criminal %ustice, ol' +F, o' $, August "888, gs' $"+)$*$?ecirocation on your art is imossible' Even if one -ay you are able to return our monetary favor t/ofol-, /e /ill al/ays 3no/ that it /as us /ho first

hoste- youG e=ten-e- to an- entruste- in you an oortunity given your time of nee-' As the initiators of such a charity, /e areal/ays in a osition of o/er, an- you are al/ays in-ebte- to us' This is where the notion ofegoism or conceit assumes a hegemonic role) By giving to you, a suose- act of generosity in the name of furthering yourcause, /e have not emo/ere- you' ?ather, /e have emo/ere- ourselves' We have less than subtlely let you 3no/ that /ehave more than you' We have so much more, in fact, that /e can affor- to give you some' >ur giving becomes, not an act of

beneficence, buta sho/ of o/er, that is, narcissistic hegemonyJ :hus, /e see that the ma7ority gift is a rusea simulacrum of movement to/ar- aoretic e5uality an- a simulation of -emocratic 7ustice' By relying on the legislature(reresenting the ma7ority /hen economic an- social oortunities are availe- to minority or un-erreresente- collectives, the rocess ta3es one=actly the form of @erri-aDs gift' :he ma7ority controls the olitical, economic, legal, an- social arenasG that is, it is (an- al/ays has been in control of

such communities as the emloyment sector an- the e-ucational system' :he man-ate- oortunities that un-er) ornonreresente- citi9ens receive as a result of this falsely eu-emonic en-eavor are gifts an-, thus,ultimately constitute an effort to ma3e minority oulations feel better' :here is a sense of movementto/ar- e5uality in the name of -emocratic 7ustice, albeit falsely manufacture-' +# 4n return for this effort, the ma7oritysho/s off its long)stan-ing authority (this rovi-es a star3 reali9ation to minority grous that o/er elites are the forces that critically formsociety as a community, forever in-ebts un-er) an- nonreresente- classes to the generosity of the ma7ority (after all,minorities grous no/ have, resumably, a real chance to attain hainess, an-, in a more general sense, furthers the narcissism ofthe ma7ority (its reresentatives have -islaye- o/er an- have been generous' :hus, the ruse of the ma7ority gift assumes the form an-has the hegemonical effect of empowering the empowered relegitimating the rivilege-, and fuelingthe +oracious conceit of the ad+antaged)

This demand for the ballot is thus ultimately trapped within web of schemingdespite the emancipatory nature of the 1A2 --- this poisons their call for changeand is the morality of calculation not emancipation --- the coalitions of the 1A2 areused as means to ends rather and are thus commodified/2$3A4 %&&5 (:o-- Mc!o/an, Associate Professor, film theory, University of ermont, Ph@, >hio tate University, stu-ies theintersection of Hegel, sychoanalysis, an- e=istentialism an- cinema, 0:he E=cetional @ar3ness of :he @ar3 Knight,1 %um Cut, o' +, ring "88,httLL///'e7umcut'orgLarchiveL7c+'"88L-ar3KnightKantLte=t'html

Accor-ing to Kant, /hen /e emerge as sub7ects, /e -o so as beings of ra-ical evil, that is, beings /ho -o goo- for evil reasons' We hel our neighbor for the recognition /e gainG /e volunteer to hel /ith the school -ance in or-er to sen- time /ith aotential romantic interestG /e give money for -isaster relief in or-er to feel comfortable about our level of material comfortG an- so on' 6or Kant, thisis the fun-amental roblem that morality confronts an- the most -ifficult tye of evil to e=tirate' He e=lains, 0:he human being (even the best is evilonly because he reverses the moral or-er of his incentives in incororating them into his ma=ims' He in-ee- incororates the moral la/ into thosema=ims, together /ith the la/ of self)loveG since, ho/ever, he reali9es that the t/o cannot stan- on an e5ual footing, but one must be subor-inate- tothe other as its sureme con-ition, he ma3es the incentives of self)love an- their inclinations the con-ition of comliance /ith the moral la/ < /hereasit is this latter that, as the sureme con-ition of the satisfaction of the former, shoul- have been incororate- into the universal ma=im of the o/er of

choice as the sole incentive'1+"N :hough Kant believes that /e have the caacity to turn from beings of ra-ical evil to moral beings, /e cannotescae a certain originary ra-ical evil that lea-s us to lace our incentives of self)love above the la/ an- that revents us froma-hering to the la/ for its o/n sa3e'+$N >ur first inclination al/ays involves the thought of /hat /e /ill gain from not lying ratherthan the imortance of telling the truth' Even /hen /e -o tell the truth, /e -o so out of ru-ence or convenience rather than out of -uty' :his is /hy

Kant conten-s that most obedience to the moral law is in fact radical e+il 6 obedience for the wrong reasons) :he resence of ra-ical evil at the heart of obe-ience to the la/ taints thisobe-ience an- gives criminality the uer han- over the la/' :here is al/ays a fun-amental imbalance bet/een la/ an- criminality' Criminalityis inscribe- into the la/ itself in the form of mis-irecte- obe-ience, an- no la/ can free itself from its reliance on the evil of such obe-ience' A

conse5uentialist ethics -evelos as a comromise /ith this ra-ical evil at the heart of the la/' Conse5uentialism is an ethics that sees value


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only in the en- < obe-ience < an- it -isregar-s /hatever evil means that the sub7ect uses to arrive atthat obe-ience' 4f eole obey the la/, the conse5uentialist thin3s, it -oesnDt matter /hy they -o so' :hose /ho ta3e u this or some other comromise

/ith ra-ical evil re-ominate /ithin society, an- they constitute the behavioral norm' :hey obey the la/ /hen necessary, but they -o so in or-er to

satisfy some incentive of self)love' :heirs is a morality of calculation in /hich acts have value in terms of the ultimate goo- that theyro-uce or the interest that they serve' Anyone /ho obeys the la/ for its o/n sa3e becomes e=cetional' Both Batman an- the %o3er e=ist outsi-e thecalculating morality that re-ominates among the olice, the la/)abi-ing citi9ens, an- the criminal un-er/orl- in !otham' Both have the status of an

e=cetion because they a-here to a co-e that cuts against their incentives for self)love an- violates any

conse5uentialist morality or morality concerne- solely /ith results' :hough Batman tries to save !otham an- the %o3er tries to -estroy it, thoughBatman commits himself to 7ustice an- the %o3er commits himself to in7ustice, they share a osition that transcen-s the ina-e5uate an- calculate-ethics authori9e- by the la/ itself' :heir -ifferences mas3 a similar relationshi to Kantian morality' :hrough the arallel bet/een them,

Christoher olan ma3es clear the role that evil must lay in authentic heroism' 4t is the %o3er, notBatman, /ho gives the most elo5uent account of the ethical osition that they occuy together' He sets himself u against the conse5uentialist an-utilitarian ethic that rules !otham, an- he tries to analy9e this ethic in or-er to un-erstan- /hat motivates it' As the %o3er sees it, -esite their

aarent -ifferences, all of the -ifferent grous in !otham in-ulge in an ethics of /hat he calls scheming' :hat is to say, they actnot on the basis of the rightness or wrongness of the act itself but in order toachie+e some ultimate ob,ect) 4n -oing so, they inherently -egra-e their acts an- -erive them of their basisin free-om' 0cheming ensla+es one to the ob,ect of one7s scheme)

This call for recognition #839:2#0 the social structures it hopesto destroy) .t both implies that recognition by racist institutions is anend point of politics and expresses that the system is working6;seelook these disad+antaged people ha+e become important anddangerous< e recognize that with our ballots=6it means we don7tengage in specific or structural reform) *oting aff isn7t somethingradical6it7s ;liking= a facebook post about resistance)eed 1' ) Professor of olitical science O University of Pennsylvania, seciali9ing in race an- American olitics @r' A-olhI' ?ee-, %r', 0@7ango Unchaine-, or, :he Hel Ho/ 0Cultural Politics1 4s Worse :han o Politics at All, an- Why,1 onsite'org (Aeer)revie/e- 5uarterly 7ournal of scholarshi in the humanities, 6ebruary ", "8+$, g' httLLtinyurl'comLceFr/

:he -eeer message of these films, insofar as they -eny the integrity of the ast, is that there is no thin3able alternative to thei-eological or-er un-er /hich /e live' :his message is rero-uce- throughout the mass entertainment in-ustryG it shaes thenormative reality even of the fantasy /orl-s that mas5uera-e as escaism' Even among those /ho lau- the suose-ly catharticeffects of @7angoDs insurgent violence as reflecting a greater truth of abolition than assage of the :hirteenth Amen-ment, fe/commentators notice that he an- Broomhil-a attaine- their free-om through a mar3et transaction'# :his reflects an i-eological

hegemony in /hich stu-ents all too commonly /on-er /hy lanters /oul- -eny slaves or sharecroers e-ucation becausee-ucation /oul- have ma-e them more ro-uctive as /or3ers' An-, tellingly, in a glo/ing rumination in the @aily Kos, ?yan Broo3eina-vertently thrusts mass cultureDs -estruction of historicity into bol- relief by -eclaiming on 0the segregate- society resente-1 in@7ango Unchaine- an- babbling on


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@7angoDs testament to the sources of -egra-ation an- 0unen-ing servitu-e thatN has ren-ere- blac3 AmericansN almost incaableof ma3ing soun- evaluations of our current situations or the 3in- of stes /e must ta3e to imrove our con-ition'1+" 4n its blin-ness

to olitical economy, this notion of blac3 cultural or sychological -amage as either a legacy of slavery or of morein-irect recent originrleans)base- cre/ an- cast, Beasts most imme-iately evo3es a /arm an- fu99y ren-ition of theretrogra-e ost)Katrina line that those o-- eole -o/n there /oul-nDt evacuate because theyDre so intensely committe- to lace' 4talso brings to min- Ieni ?iefenstahlDs ost)rison hoto essays on the ilotic grous /hose beautiful rimitiveness she imagine-herself caturing for osterity before they vanishe- un-er a suerior civili9ationDs a-vance'+*

Beasts of the outhern Wil- stan-s out also as a ure e=emlar of the -ebasement of the notion of a social cause throughabsortion into the commercial imerative, the ne=t logical ste from fun)run or buy)a)tee)shirt activism' :he filmDs /ebsite, has a“get involved” link, a ploy clearly inten-e- to generate an affective i-entification an- todene watching and liking the lm as a form of social engagement' :hereDsnothing to 0get involve-1 /ith e=cet roagan-i9ing for the film' But the in7unction to get involve-ums the i-ea that going to see a movie, an- sen-ing money to -o so, is articiating in a socialmovement' (4 haene- to be on a flight from Hartfor-, Connecticut, to Chicago /ith >rahDs B66 an- my local ne/s anchor,!ayle King, on the remiere /ee3en- of >rahDs film a-atation of :oni MorrisonDs Belove-' !ayle intimate- in a stage /hiser tothe gaggle of gushing >rah fans seate- aroun- her that it /as very imortant to see the film on oening /ee3en- in or-er to buil-the all)imortant bo= office count' 4 ha-nDt reali9e- theretofore that ma3ing yet more money for >rah ran3s as a socialresonsibility' 4n this -evice Qeitlin reeats a techni5ue emloye- by @avis !uggenheimDs Waiting for uerman, the cororateschool rivati9ation movementDs :riumh of the Will, sea3ing of Ieni ?iefenstahl, an- its fictional counterart @aniel Barn9Ds WonDt Bac3 @o/n, that movementDs Birth of a ation' 4t is a minor cause for otimism that, to ut it mil-ly, neither of thoseabominations came any/here near its re-ecessorDs commercial or cultural success'4n a--ition to 3nee)7er3 anti)statism, the ob7ection that the slaves free- themselves, as it sho/s u in favorable comarison of @7ango Unchaine- toIincoln, stems from a racial ietism that issue- from the unholy union of cultural stu-ies an- blac3 stu-ies in the university' More than t/enty years of

0resistance1 stu-ies that fin- again an- again, at this oint ritualistically, that oresse- eole have an- e=ress agency have contribute- toun-ermining the i-ea of olitics as a -iscrete shere of activity -irecte- to/ar- the out/ar-)loo3ingro7ect of affecting the social or-er, most effectively through creating, challenging or re-efining institutions thatanchor collective action /ith the ob7ective of -eveloing an- /iel-ing o/er' 4nstea-, the notion has been largelyevacuate- of secific content at all' 0Politics1 can refer to /hatever one /ants it toG all thatDsre5uire- is an act of /ill in ma3ing a claim':he fact that there has been no serious left resence /ith any olitical caacity in this country for at least a generation has e=acerbate- this roblem' 4nthe absence of -ynamic movements that cohere aroun- affirmative visions for ma3ing the society better, on the or-er of, say, 6ran3lin ?ooseveltDs +**

http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_12http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_13http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_14http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_12http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_13http://nonsite.org/editorial/django-unchained-or-the-help-how-cultural-politics-is-worse-than-no-politics-at-all-and-why#foot_14


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0econ- Bill of ?ights,1 an- that organi9e an- agitate aroun- rograms instrumental to ursuit of such visions, /hat remains is the fossil recor- of astmovements


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both global mar3eting imeratives an- the i-eological re-ilections of neoliberalism an- its i-entitarian loyaloosition' >ne can only shu--er at the rosect of ho/ !illo PontecorvoDs +FF film, :he Battle of Algiers, or Costa)!avrasDstate of iege (+" /oul- be rema-e to-ay' (!uy ?itchieDs an- Ma-onnaDs e=ecrable "88" rema3e of Iina WertmSllerDs +* film/et A/ay may rovi-e a clueG their abomination comletely erases the original filmDs comle= class an- olitical content an-relaces it /ith a banal


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the mask of e+il good remains scheming) :his is recisely /hat Harvey @ent evinces, -esite the romise thatBatman sees in him for the erfect form of heroism' :hroughout the beginning art of the film, Harvey @ent seems li3e a figure of ure goo-' :heurity of his goo-ness allo/s him to never be nonluse-' Even /hen a mobster tries to shoot him in oen court, he calmly grabs the gun from themobsterDs han- an- unches the mobster in the face' After the unch, /e see @entDs e=ression of total e5uanimity, even in the mi-st of an attemte-assassination' :his coolness stems from his absolute certainty that events /ill ultimately follo/ accor-ing to his lans' :he rai-ity /ith /hich olane-its together the threat from the mobster an- @entDs resonse minimi9es the sectatorDs sense of -anger' :he threat against @entDs life -isaearsalmost before /e can e=erience it as such, /hich suggests that it lac3s a 5uality of realness, both for @ent an- for the sectator' :he court sceneestablishes him as a hero /hom one cannot harm' 4ronically, the suerhero in the film, Batman, sho/s himself to be vulnerable /hen he first aears inthe film, as -ogs bite him through his rotective armor' :his -istinction bet/een @ent an- BatmanDs vulnerability e=lains /hy the former cannot be an

authentic hero' 4n contrast to Batman, @entDs heroism -oes not involve the e=erience of loss an- is base- on a reu-iation ofthe very ossibility of losing' Bruce Wayne a-ote- the i-entity of Batman after the trauma of being -roe- in a cave full of bats an-the loss of his arents, but no such traumatic loss animates the heroism of @ent' He is heroic through an imme-iate i-entification /ith the goo-, /hich

enables him to have a urity that Batman -oesnDt have' o ruture an- subse5uent return animates his commitment to 7ustice' He canublicly avo/ his heroic actions because he erforms them in a ure /ay, /ithout resorting to the guise ofevil' But the falsity of this imme-iate i-entification /ith the goo- becomes aarent in @entDs -isavo/al of loss, /hich olan locates in the tic that mar3s @entDs character < his roclivity for fliing a coin to resolve -ilemmas' >n several occasions, he flisthe coin that his father ha- given him in or-er to intro-uce the ossibility of loss into his activities' By fliing a coin, one a-mits that events might notgo accor-ing to lan, that the other might /in, an- that loss is an ever)resent ossibility' :hough the coin fli reresents an attemt to master loss byren-ering it ran-om rather than necessary or constitutive, it nonetheless iso facto acce-es to the fact that one might lose' @ent first flis the coin /henhe is late to e=amine a 3ey /itness in court, an- the coin fli /ill -etermine /hether he or his assistant ?achel /ill -o the 5uestioning' When ?achel

/on-ers ho/ he coul- leave something so imortant to chance, @ent relies, 04 ma3e my o/n luc3'1 4t is 7ust after this that the mobster tries an- fails toshoot @ent, further suggesting his invulnerability' @ent /ins this an- subse5uent coin flis in the first art of the film because he uses a loa-e- coin, acoin /ith t/o hea-s' When it comes to the coin fli, @ent -oes ma3e his o/n luc3 by eliminating the element of chance' :he coin that he uses ensuresthat he /ill avoi- the ossibility of losing' :he coin /ith t/o hea-s is certainly a clever -evice, but it also stan-s as the ob7ective correlative for

@entDs lac3 of authentic heroism' :he imme-iacy of his heroism cannot survive any me-iation' >nce loss isintro-uce- into @entDs /orl-, his heroism -isaears, an- he becomes a figure of criminality' :he transformation of Harvey @ent after his-isfigurement is so reciitous that it strains cre-ulity' >ne -ay he is the ure -efen-er of absolute 7ustice, an- the ne=t he is on a homici-al /arath

/illing to shoot innocent chil-ren' >ne coul- chal3 u this rai- change to sloy filmma3ing on Christoher olanDs art, to an eagerness to move too5uic3ly to the filmDs conclu-ing moments of tension' But the rai-ity of the transformation signifies all the more because it seems so force- an- 7arring'4t allo/s us to retroactively e=amine Harvey @entDs relationshi to the la/ earlier in the film' @ent becomes :/o)6ace after his in7ury, but in -oing sohe merely ta3es u the i-entity that olice -eartment ha- a-ote- for him /hen he /as /or3ing for the 4nternal Affairs -ivision' As an investigator ofother officers, @ent earne- this nic3name by insisting on absolute urity an- by targeting any sign of olice corrution' Even !or-on, an officer /ho isnot corrut, comlains to @ent of the araly9ing effects on the -eartment of these tactics' >n the one han-, an insistence on urity seems to be aconsistently noncalculating ethical osition' >ne can imagine this insistence obstructing the longterm goal of better la/ enforcement (/hich is /hy

!or-on ob7ects to it' >n the other han-, ho/ever, the -eman- for urity al/ays anticiates its o/n failure' :heure hero 5uic3ly becomes the criminal /hen an e=erience of loss -isruts this urity' :his firstoccurs /hen !or-on is aarently 3ille- at the olice commissionerDs funeral' 4n resonse to this blatant -islay of ublic criminality, @ent abuses asusect from the shooting an- even threatens to 3ill him, using his tric3 coin as a -evice for mental torture' Even though @ent has no intention ofactually shooting the susect, Batman nonetheless scol-s @ent for his metho-s /hen he interruts the rivate interrogation' :his scene offers the first

insight into /hat @ent /ill become later in the film, but it also sho/s the imlications of his form of heroism' @ent resorts to torture because hisform of heroism has no ontological space for loss) When it occurs, his heroism becomes

comletely -eraile-' ?achel;s -eath an- his o/n -isfigurement intro-uce traumatic loss into @entDs e=istence' olan sho/s theramifications of this change through the transformation that his coin un-ergoes -uring the e=losion that 3ills ?achel' :he e=losion chars one si-e of@entDs t/o)hea-e- coin (/hich he ha- earlier flie- to ?achel as he /as ta3en a/ay to 7ail, so that it becomes, through being submitte- to a traumaticforce, a coin /ith t/o -ifferent si-es' :he film in-icates here ho/ trauma intro-uces loss into the /orl- an- ho/ this intro-uction of loss removes allsub7ective certainty' When @ent as :/o)6ace flis the ne/ly mar3e- coin, the act ta3es on an entirely ne/ significance' Unli3e earlier, he is no longercertain about the result of the fli' He flis to -eci-e /hether he /ill 3ill the %o3er in the hosital room, /hether he /ill 3ill @etective Wuert9 (?on@ean in a bar, or /hether he /ill 3ill @etective ?amire9 (Moni5ue Curnen in an alley' >f the three, only Wuert9 en-s u -ea-, but @ent also 3illsanother officer an- the criminal boss Maroni, along /ith some of his men' :his ramage en-s /ith @ent hol-ing !or-onDs family hostage an-

threatening to 3ill the one /hom !or-on hol-s most -ear' @ent becomes a 3iller in or-er to inflict his o/n e=erienceof loss on others he tells !or-on that he /ants to 3ill /hat is most recious to him so that !or-on /ill feel /hat he felt' @ent can so 5uic3lyta3e u this attitu-e because his heroism has no lace for loss' When it occurs, the heroism becomes comletely un-one'

After @entDs -eath, the film en-s /ith Batman acceting resonsibility for the 3illings erforme- by@ent in or-er to salvage @entDs ublic reutation an- thereby sustain the image of the ublic hero' !or-on an- Batman

believe that this gesture is necessary for saving the city an- 3eeing its hoe for 7ustice alive' When !or-on says, 0!otham nee-s its true hero,1 /e see ashot of him turning @entDs face over, obscuring the burne- si-e an- e=osing the human si-e' 4n -eath, @ent /ill begin to /ear the mas3 that he /oul-never /ear in life' A mas3 of heroism /ill cover his criminality' As the film conceives it, this lie < that urity is ossible < reresents the sine 5ua nonof social being' Without it, /ithout the i-ea that one can sustain an ethical osition, calculation of interest /oul- have nothing to offset it, an- the city

/oul- become i-entifie- /ith criminality' But the real interest of the filmDs conclusion lies /ith Batman an- the form of aearance that his heroism

ta3es' 4t is as if "atman takes responsibility for @entDs act not to sa+e 9ent7s face but to stain hisown image irre+ocably with e+il) He remains the heroic e=cetion, but his status changes ra-ically' 4n or-er toguarantee that @ent -ies as a hero, Batman must ta3e resonsibility for the mur-ers that @ent committe-'

With this gesture, he truly a-ots the mas3 of evil' 4n the closing montage se5uence, /e see the olice hunting him -o/n,!or-on smashing the Bat ignal, an- finally Batman -riving a/ay into the night on his motorcycle' As this se5uence conclu-es, /e hear !or-onDs

voiceover say, 0HeDs the hero !otham -eserves, but not the one it nee-s right no/' An- so /eDll hunt him, because he can ta3e it' Because heDs not ahero' HeDs a silent guar-ian, a /atchful rotector ''' a -ar3 3night'1 As !or-on ronounces the final /or-, the film cuts to blac3 from the image of

Batman on his motorcycle' :he melo-rama of this voiceover elevates Batman;s heroism, but it -oes so recisely because he agrees to aearas evil' :his gesture, even more than any of his hysical acts of courage, is the gesture of the true hero because it leaves


8/28

him /ithout any recognition for his heroism' 6or the hero /ho aears in the form of evil, heroicexceptionality must be an end in itself without any hope for a greater reward) When thee=cetion ta3es this form, it loses the -anger that a-heres to the tyical hero' :he mas3 of evil allo/s the e=cetion to ersist /ithout multilying itself'By a-oting this osition at the en- of the film, Batman reveals that he has ta3en u the lesson of the %o3er an- grase- the imortance of the brea3from calculation' @ent, the hero /ho /ants to aear heroic, -escen-s into mur-erous evil' But Batman, the hero /ho accets evil as his form ofaearance, sustains the only ossible ath for heroic e=cetionality' 4n an eoch /hen the la/;s ina-e5uacy is evi-ent, the nee- for the heroic

e=cetion becomes ever more ronounce-, but the -anger of the e=cetion has also never been more aarent' @eclarations of

e=cetionality aboun- in the contemorary /orl-, an- they allo/ us to see the negativeramifications that follo/ from the e=cetion, no matter ho/ heroic its intent' Au-iences floc3 to suerheromovies in search of a heroic e=cetion that they can embrace, an e=cetion that /oul- /or3 to/ar- 7ustice /ithout simultaneously a--ing to in7ustice in

the manner of to-ayDs real /orl- e=cetions' 4n :he @ar3 Knight, Christoher olan offers a viable image of heroice=cetionality' As he sees, its form of aearance must be its oosite if it to avoi- imlicating itselfin the in7ustice that it fights' :he lesson for our real /orl- e=cetions is thus a -ifficult one' ather than beingcelebrated as the liberator of 4ra5 an- the sa+oir of U'' free-om, !eorge W' Bush /oul- have to act behin- the scenes to encouragecharges being brought against him as a /ar criminal at the Worl- Court, an- then he /oul- have to flee to the streets of :he Hague as the authorities

ursue him there' 4n the eyes of the ublic, true heroes must identify themsel+es with the e+il that wefight)


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1nc – kritik

Our advocacy in this debate is to treat the so called ;war on drugs= as a racist waragainst dispossessed people and a form of targeted killing challenge it both legally and socially and pro+ide pragmatic alternati+es)

3ur method is collaborati+e problem sol+ing that engages both our communitiesand institutional stakeholders6this means we should retain belief in the politicalprocess while simultaneously educating where we are able)

This method is pro+en successful on the small scale6The 8ortland 8ublic9efenders and ashington 9efender association are ,ust two examples ofcoalitional groups who ha+e changed racist drug laws6our acti+ism actually cangenerate meaningful shifts in the structures that uphold racism)

"lack %&&? An-re/, :his ote receive- the a/ar- for Best ote Honorable Mention for olume *F of theV University of Iouisville Ia/ ?evie/'V %uris @octor an- Master of @ivinitycan-i-ate, gra-uating May "88# from the University V of Iouisville Bran-eis chool of Ia/ an-Iouisville Presbyterian :heological eminary'V .:HE WA? > PE>PIE. ?E6?AM4! .:HEV

WA? > @?U!. B2 A@@?E4! ?AC4MV W4:H4 AME?4CA @?U! P>I4C2:H?>U!HV ?E:>?A:4E %U:4CE A@ C>MMU4:2 V C>IIAB>?A:4>V An-re/ @'Blac3. *F U' Iouisville I' ?ev' + "88)"88#N

' ?E6?AM4! U'' @?U! P>I4C2 :H?>U!H C>MMU4:2 C>IIAB>?A:4>:o romote reframing of U'' -rug olicy, intereste- arties shoul- begin V by engaging othercommunity sta3ehol-ers in a meaningful -ialogue through aV rocess of collaborativeproblem solving' Collaborative roblem solving involvesV t/o asects .(+ cooeration ornegotiation among intereste- sta3ehol-ersV to reach outcomes to /hich all the arties agreeG an-

(" a goal of V fin-ing solutions to the roblems that the arties agree to a--ress or that causeV theconflict'F

Collaborative roblem solving aime- at -rug olicy reform re5uiresV i-entifying 3ey sta3ehol-ers /ithin the legal and social community' Within theV legal community, local an- stateolicyma3ers, rosecutors, 7u-ges, olice an-V robation officers, social /or3ers an- ublic-efen-ers shoul- engage in aV -iscussion a--ressing /hy in-ivi-uals in their communityarticiate in -rugV use, /hat is the collective imact of -rug use on the community, an- ho/Vheling in-ivi-uals involve- /ith -rugs can romote ublic safety an- re-uceV ublic fear'

A--ressing these issues, the Washington @efen-er Association;sV ?acial @isarity Pro7ect hasworked successfully /ith lawmakers , 7u-ges,V rosecutors, an- olice to countersocioeconomic -isarities an- imrove raceV relations by modifying laws, olicies an- legalractices that -isa-vantageV racial grous in the community' # Accor-ingly, engagingpublic

o#cials

inV these conversations can result in imortant insights regar-ing financialan-V olitical limitations as /ell as generate powerful alliances that romote anVunderstanding among parties to encourage reframing'

4n conversing /ith community sta3ehol-ers, intereste- arties shoul-V -iscuss these issues /itha variety of grous inclu-ing, but not limite- toV minority community lea-ersG teachers an-scholarsG ne/s reorters an-V 7ournalistsG local businessesG an- eole /ith broa- social an-cross)culturalV contact, such as barten-ers' Wor3ing /ith community members is essential to


10/28

reframing the ublic;s ercetion of -rugs as /ell as can create strategicV alliances con-ucive tothe mobili$ation an- pooling of resources' 6or e=amle,V in reaching out to the localcommunity, the Portlan- Public @efen-ers >fficeV successfully collaborate- /ith local religiousan- charitable organi9ations,V entities foun- . appealing. to judges an- courtadministrators , to rovi-e holisticV services to clients'+88

4f collaborating in a large grou, arties must remain mindful of the financialV an- logisticalcosts of collective action, the ossibility of free)ri-ers, theV otential for oting)out an- the-anger of inter-group polari$ation cause- byV grous taking more etremepositions to set themselves apart' +8+ :o minimi9eV these issues it is helful to agreeon the rocesses of collaboration ufront'V 6urther, it is essential to target /hich entities toaroach an- ho/ they shoul-V be aroache-' Accor-ingly, most successful collaborativecomromises haveV been crafte- /hen arties e=hibit a humble

/illingness to listen to oneVanother'; 8"

:/o ma7or collaborative comonents essential to reframing an- reformingV -rug olicyare public education an- involvement in the political process%V E-ucating theublic /ith reliable 3no/le-ge an- information about -raconianV -rug enalties an- the racial

biases un-erlying current -rug olicy can be anV e&ective an- powerful tool togenerate the activism needed to persuadeV political

o#cials

to move beyon- thecurrent retributive frame/or3' 4n see3ingV to e-ucate the ublic about the in7ustices of the .Waron @rugs,. ublic -efen-ersV another intereste- arties have been .teaching in local ublicschools, community centers, senior citi9en centers, 7ails, an- local colleges'.; $ 6urther,V as three)stri3es la/s an- man-atory)sentencing minimums have been imlemente-,V -efense attorneysan- other roonents for -rug olicy reform haveV foun- themselves actively lobbyingolicyma3ers, testifying at legislativeV hearings an- suorting olitical can-i-ates that favorrestorative 7ustice initiatives'V +8* cholar Cait Clar3e e=lains, .some -efense la/yers have

becomeV value- articiants in policymaking an- public education

because theyrovi-eV uni5ue ersectives to 7ustice -ebates as a result of /or3ing closely /ith clients V an-their families'.;8

The ar on 9rugs is the new @im 2row6it denies black and brown people a chanceto participate in politics) 2ollaborati+e efforts at holistic policy solutions canexpose the racist underpinnings of the war on drugs generate new politicalopportunities and generate communities built on care rather than fear)

"lack %&&? An-re/, :his ote receive- the a/ar- for Best ote Honorable Mention for olume *F of theV University of Iouisville Ia/ ?evie/'V %uris @octor an- Master of @ivinitycan-i-ate, gra-uating May "88# from the University V of Iouisville Bran-eis chool of Ia/ an-Iouisville Presbyterian :heological eminary'V .:HE WA? > PE>PIE. ?E6?AM4! .:HEV

WA? > @?U!. B2 A@@?E4! ?AC4MV W4:H4 AME?4CA @?U! P>I4C2:H?>U!HV ?E:>?A:4E %U:4CE A@ C>MMU4:2 V C>IIAB>?A:4>V An-re/ @'

Blac3. *F U' Iouisville I' ?ev' + "88)"88#N4' 4:?>@UC:4>V 'ne

of every three

African)American men bet/een the ages of t/entyan-V t/enty)nine are un-er the control of the criminal 7ustice system)in rison orV 7ail, onrobation or arole'" At the en- of "88, there /ere $,+* African)V American male risoninmates er +88,888 African)American males in theV U'', comare- to +,"** Hisanic maleinmates er +88,888 Hisanic U''V males an- *+ /hite male inmates er +88,888 /hite U''males' By @ecember of "888, there /ere fe/er African)American men in college thanV there

/ere in rison or 7ail'* 4n +, African)American /omen /ere imrisone-V at a rate eight times


11/28

greater than /hite /omen an- /ere ten times asV li3ely to be reorte- to chil- /elfare agenciesfor renatal -rug use even thoughV the same roortion of African)American an- /hite /omenuse -rugs /hileV regnant' By "888, African)American chil-ren /ere nine times as li3ely asV

/hite chil-ren to have at least one arent in rison'F cholars largely attributeV these -isaritiesto be the result of U'' -rug olicy chamione- as the .War onV @rugs'.

:he .War on @rugs. is a /ar against eole, articularly African)V Americans' While African) Americans only constitute +"X of the U'' oulationV an- +$X of the country;s total -rug users, African)Americans accountV for $$X of all -rug)relate- arrests, F"X of -rug)relate- convictions,an- 8XV of -rug)relate- incarcerations'# Ho/ever, the true insidiousness of the .War onV@rugs. is its role as an e&ective weapon -estroying the infrastructure ofV African)Americancommunities through the stea-y reimlementation of %imV Cro/' With forty)si= statesimlementing -isenfranchisement la/s, the .WarV on @rugs. has roven to be a o/erful

/eaon to mitigate the effectiveness ofV the +F oting ?ights Act' As a result of the .War on@rugs,. +$X of allV African)Americans have lost their right to vote -ue to felony convictions' 4naV fe/ outhern states, African)American -isenfranchisement is as high as $$X';YV Beyon- lossof olitical voice an- o/er, the .War on @rugs. has crile- theV economic infrastructure ofmany African)American communities, se verelyV limiting oortunities for emloyment an- the

ability to obtain loans forV e-ucation or enterrise'. 6urther, /ith arents incarcerate-, chil-renare left to fen- for themselves an- their siblings, resulting in many youth turning to gangsV foraccetance as /ell as involvement /ith -rug use an-Lor traffic3ing'; "

:hrough the .War on @rugs,. oliticians an- the me-ia have e=tensivelyV ortraye- -rug use asa criminal issue re5uiring a .get tough. aroach of V stiffer enalties an- stricter sentencinggui-elines' +$ :his mentality has resulte-V in ei-emic incarceration, increase- reci-ivism,massive bu-get shortfalls, an-V the reinstitutionali9ation of %im Cro/ leaving both in-ivi-ualsan- /holeV communities -evastate-' +*.CNaught in an inescapable network of mutuality,.;V + America can no longer affor- toframe -rug use solely as a criminalV issue /arranting retributive solutions' ?ather, throughcollaborative efforts,V -rug use must be reframe- /ithin a broa-er restorative frame/or3 thatincororatesV me-ical an- social concerns as /ell as consi-ers the effects of -rugV use on

in-ivi-uals an- communities' e/ policies must give offen-ers theV oortunity to alter behavior, accet resonsibility, ma3e restitution, an- enterV rehabilitative, e-ucational an-emloyment rograms'

Part 44 of this ote briefly e=amines the historical intersection of race an-V U'' -rug olicy as itrelates to the regulation of cocaine' Part 444 e=lores ho/ V the .War on @rugs. is currently beingframe- through a retributive lens inV /hich a .get tough. mentality has resulte- in stifferenalties, stricter sentencingV gui-elines, /i-esrea- incarceration, the criminali9ation ofoverty an-V the reinstitutionali9ation of %im Cro/' Part 4 consi-ers the otential forreframingV U'' -rug olicy /ithin a broa-er restorative frame/or3 that incororatesV me-icalan- social concerns generating oortunities for offen-ersV to alter behavior, accetresonsibility, atten- rehabilitation rograms an-V reenter communities' Part e=lores ho/

collaborative

roblem solving canV romote reframing -rug olicy as /ell as create holisticsolutions' Part 4V e=lores otential barriers to collaboration an- analy9es ho/ reframingan- collaborationV have successfully romote- restorative -rug initiatives in >3lahoma'

e7ll isolate two net benefits to this ad+ocacy

3ur first argument is that the affirmati+e has no real strategy6The affirmati+eclaims they want to burn it down but they don7t really tell you how) 3f course


12/28

indi+iduals should stop doing racist shit in their e+eryday life) The question ishow do we get to that pointB

The affirmati+e doesn7t ha+e an answer) 9o they preach non-+iolence like /!KB3r do they want to ad+ocate self defense and the possibility of +iolence like/alcom CB ho ,oins their re+olutionB ho ado they attackB Their failure to

specify the direction of their struggle and the specific tactics that they use meansthey do nothing but abstract moralizing

e shouldn7t need to win offense to win this debate6it7s the affirmati+e7sresponsibility to demonstrate that their arguments are somehow producti+e

beyond making you feel good about yourself by +oting for them) *ote neg onpresumptioneed &5 A-olh ?ee- %r' is a rofessor of olitical science at the University of Pennsylvania' 0:he limits of anti)racism1

Antiracism is a fa+orite concept on the American left these -ays' >f course, all goo- sorts /ant to beagainst racism, but /hat -oes the /or- mean e=actly R:he contemorary -iscourse of 0antiracism1 is focuse- much more on ta=onomy than olitics' 4temhasi9es the name by /hich /e shoul- call some strains of ine5ualitya3lan- since the +$8s, American Babylon, is another' Both ma3e abun-antly clear the role of the real estate in-ustry increating an- recreating housing segregation an- ghettoi9ation':asty bunny

All too often, 0racism1 is the sub7ect of sentences that imly intentional activity or is characteri9e- as an autonomous 0force'1 4n this 3in- of

formulation, 0racism,1 a concetual abstraction, is imagine- as a material entity' Abstractions can be useful, but theyshoul-nDt be given in-een-ent life'4 can areciate such formulations as transient olitical rhetoricG hyerbolic claims ma-e in or-er to -ra/ attention an- galvani9e oinion against some

articular in7ustice' But as the basis for social interpretation, an- articularly interretation directedtoward strategic political action they are useless) :heir rincial function is to feel goo-an- tastily righteous in the mouths of those /ho rooun- them' Peole -o things that rero-uce atterns of


13/28

raciali9e- ine5uality, sometimes /ith self)consciously bigote- motives, sometimes not' Proerly speaking, ho/ever, ;racism= itselfdoesn7t do anything more than the #aster "unny does '

2es, racism e=ists, as a concetual con-ensation of ractices an- i-eas that rero-uce, or see3 to rero-uce, hierarchy along lines -efine- byrace' Aostles of antiracism fre5uently canDt hear this sort of statement, because in their e=cee-ingly simlistic version of the ne=us of race an-in7ustice there can be only the Manichean -ichotomy of those /ho a-mit racismDs e=istence an- those /ho -eny it' :here can be only :o-- !itlin (thesociologist an- former @ lea-er /ho has become, both fairly an- as caricature, the symbol of a 0class)first1 line an- their o/n heroic, truth)tellingselves, an- /hoever is not the latter must be the former' :hus the logic of straining to assign guilt by association substitutes for argument'My osition isMX$Ascholar'google'comX"6X"FhlX$@enX"Fas]s-tX$@8X"C++^search[X""relate-X$A?=u"BB\6e8v>MX$Ascholar'google'comX"6X""NP?>6E>? 6A?BE? As 4 /as getting rea-y to leave for the airort, my /ife gave me a final iece of a-vice about this -ebate' hesai-, .@on;t be too reasonable'. evertheless, 4 /oul- li3e to begin by stressing some common groun- that 4 thin3 may get lost

because the -ebate format naturally encourages us to ta3e a-versarial ositions' 4n reality, Professor @elga-o an- 4 share a great-eal in our vie/s of la/ an- American society' Both of us see the issue of racial ine5uality as being centralan- re5uiring the most serious ossible attention' Both of us re7ect the conservative -ogma of color blin-ness, an- both of us, as 4 thin3 /ill be sho/n tonight, believe that one imperative need is for dialogue anddiscussion of this topic if /e are to ma3e any rogress' o /e -o have something in common' But /ealso have a fun-amental -isagreement, 4 thin3, a -isagreement that is illustrate- by the fact that /e are on the oosite si-es of this

-ebate about the inherent racism of American la/' As Professor @elga-o sai- in his intro-uctory remar3s, critical racetheory;s vie/ is essentially that racism is embe--e- in the @A of American la/ ' An- that ineffect, racism is not merely a /i-esrea- blemish on American la/, but is instea-, a ra-icalinfection that goes right to the heart of the legal system '( disagree with that for reasons that 4 /ill hoefully ma3e clear' 4 thin3 that this thesis rests on a one)si-e- vie/ of the legal system' 4 thin3 that it is base- on a misun-erstan-ing of some of thefun-amental rinciles of the system' 4 thin3 in the en-, -esite /hat 4 3no/ are Professor @elga-o;s goo- intentions,that the inherent racism position (an- critical race theory, in general ris3s being moredestructive than constructive in terms of a-vancing our national conversation on race' 4notice- that Professor @elga-o ostone- the issue of inherent racism, or the inherency of racism, until his ne=t ten minutes' 4 mayalso ut off, to some e=tent, my -iscussion of that oint as /ell, though 4 /ill refer to it briefly'

Iet me begin /ith the vision of the American legal system that Professor @elga-o resente- in his first t/enty minutes' 4 -o notinten- to -eny the reality of the -ar3 si-e of American la/ in American legal history, an- that-ar3 si-e has in-ee- been very ba- at times' evertheless , 4 thin3 one might e5ually oint tosome more ositive asects of American legal society , an- that /e get only a s3e/e- an-incomlete icture if /e focus only on one si-e of the icture if /e ignore the :hirteenth,


14/28

6ourteenth, F an- 6ifteenth Amen-mentsG if /e ignore Bro/n v' Boar- of E-ucation.# an- the /or3 of the Warren CourtG if /e ignore the Civil ?ights Acts of +F*,; +F,"8 an- +8G". an- if /e ignore orminimi9e the commitment to affirmative action that many American institutions, esecially e-ucationalinstitutions, have ha- for the ast t/o -eca-es' 4 -o not thin3 you have to be a triumhalist to thin3that these are imortant -eveloments)you only have to be a realist 'imilarly, as serious as the roblem of racial ine5uality remains in our society, it is also unrealistic to

ignore the consi-erable amount of rogress that has been ma-e ' Consi-er the emergence of the blac3 mi--le class in the last generation or generation an- a half, an- the integration of imortant Americaninstitutions such as big)city olice forces, /hich are imortant in the -ay)to)-ay lives of many minority eole' :he military hassometimes been -escribe- as the most successfully integrate- institution in American society' We all 3no/, as /ell, that the numberof minority la/yers has risen substantially' 4n state an- fe-eral legislatures, there /as no such thing as a blac3 caucus in Congress

thirty or forty years ago, because there /oul- not have been enough blac3 eole resent to call a caucus' An- -o not forgetthe consi-erable evi-ence of shar changes in /hite attitu-es over that erio- in a morefavorable an- tolerant -irection'4t is true that there is much in our history that /e can only loo3 bac3 on /ith a feeling of shame,

but there is also much to be rou- of that /e shoul- not forget' 4 also thin3 that the accusation thatthe American legal system is inherently racist lac3s ersective in the sense that it seems toimly that there is something secifically American about this roblem ' 4f you loo3 aroun- the /orl-,societies virtually every/here are struggling /ith the roblems of ethnic an- cultural luralism,an- are trying to fin- /ays to incororate -iverse grous into their governing structures' 4 thin3 if you loo3 aroun- the /orl-, inclu-ing even countries li3e 6rance /hich Professor @elga-o referre- to, it is far from clear that /e are -oing /orse than the others' 4n some /ays, 4 thin3 /e are -oing consi-erably better than most' 2ou can al/ays aint a icture of -esair by only focusing on the things that go /rong , an-much of the critical race theory literature that 4 have rea- along those lines remin-s me a great -eal of the

/or3 that is being -one by eole at the oosite en- of the olitical sectrum' 4f you rea- ?obertBor3;s latest boo3 .louching :o/ar- !omorrah,."" it rea-s e=actly li3e @erric3 Bell, $ only inreverse ' While Bell sees an inherent fla/ of racism that /e can never overcome an- that /illhaunt us forever, Bor3 sees an inherent fla/ of egalitarianism that /e can never overcome an-that has corrute- all asects of our society' Both of them can oint to some evi-ence' (f youonly look at the evidence on one side of the thesis it begins to lookpersuasive

G but /hen you loo3 at the evi-ence as a /hole , 4 thin3 you see a much more

comle= icture'4 thin3 the inherency art of the thesis is erhas the most significant, so 4 /ant to say a fe/ /or-s about thatno/, although 4 /ill robably nee- to come bac3 to that after Professor @elga-o;s ne=t segment'

4t seems to me the most o/erful criticisms of our society or our legal system are that it -oes not liveu to its o/n i-eals' 6or e=amle, ho/ coul- :homas %efferson, the author of the @eclaration of 4n-een-ence, also have been an o/ner of slavesR :hat uts the 5uestion in star3 terms' Ho/ can a legal system that ri-es itself one5uality still allo/ some of the outcomes that Professor @elga-o has -etaile-R 4 thin3 those areo/erful criticisms' But /hat 4 fin- most -isturbing about much of c ritical r ace t heory is theargument that it is not the erformance that is the roblem)it is the i-eals' :hat it is not that%efferson -i- not live u to the @eclaration of 4n-een-ence, it is that the i-eals of theEnlightenment , the i-eals of the @eclaration of 4n-een-ence themselves are inherently an-.genetically. fla/e-, that are themselves inherently racist ' :hat, as Professor @elga-o has sai- before,

.normal legal -iscourse. is itself racist)or, as Ale= %ohnson has sai-, that or-inary, suose-lyneutral stan-ar-s of merit are secretly color co-e- for Whites only, or are resente- in a /hite voice'"*>ne of the rimary tas3s that /e too3 on ourselves in the boo3 /as to try to both -ocument the aca-emic suort for that ositionan- then to try to e=lain /hy /e consi-ere- it to be so fatally fla/e-' 4t obviously resonates /ith a lot of ostmo-ernist an-

ostcritical legal stu-ies scholarshi' :here is a sort of tren-iness to tal3ing about the social constructionof reality' But /hen you ut asi-e all the hilosohical 7argon, it seems to be there 7ust really isnot much to suort the thesis , an- 4 /ill return to that later'6inally, an- 4 thin3 erhas this is the most significant ractical roblem, the inherent racism aroach isnot a step toward

bringing us to seriously confront the roblems that our society has' 4n fact,


15/28

4 thin3 it is taking us down a false path ' :he -ynamics of the concet of inherent racismhas several unfortunate effects' 6irst of all, among even its a-herents, it lea-s to a 3in- of)witch hunt) mentality

, in /hich eole are constantly searching for more an- moresubtle forms of racism among themselves , among their oonents in the legal system generally,an- so forth' As a result, eole invest their time combing the 4nternal ?evenue Co-e for-e-uctions that might seem more favorable to one grou than another grou, rather than

loo3ing at /hat is the star3 an- over/helming roblem)not ho/ eole;s income is ta=e- but /ho is earning ho/ much an- /hy ' o /e become more an- more obsesse- /ith loo3ing for morean- more subtle fla/s'6urthermore, at least in the han-s of some of the ractitioners or a-herents to this osition, it leads to abreakdown in debate

, even both among eole /ho are essentially on the liberal si-e ofthe sectrum anin -isutes /ith their oonents' 6or e=amle, consi-er the attac3s on liberals li3e?an-y Kenne-y, a blac3 rofessor on the Harvar- Ia/ chool faculty' We see ho/ eole, /ho arein some sense fun-amentally allies, /ho all suort affirmative action an- thin3 racial roblems are very imortant, fin- it impossible to hold a discussion because of this search formotives, hidden agendas, and biases' We see the same thing /ithin critical legalstu-ies in /hich t/o figures in the movement, Mar3 :ushnet an- !ary Peller, blu-geone- each other inthe ages of the !eorgeto/n Ia/ %ournal" about their motivations an- otential racism, etc' 4

do not think that is the way we can move forward ':his thesis also has been destructive of dialogue with outsiders, /ith the rest of

American society, /ith eole /ho are not alrea-y believers in critical race theory or theinherent racism of American society an- la/ ' 6or e=amle, at my o/n la/ school, a young member of ourfaculty, %im Chen, /rote an article about racial intermarriage F that /as consi-ere- to beinaroriate by some other minority grou members' An entire issue" of the 4o/a Ia/ ?evie/

/as ublishe-, -e-icate- not only to critici9ing his vie/s , /hich 4 thin3 /as entirely aroriate, but toseculations about the 3in-s of t/iste- motives that coul- lea- a member of a minority grou totake a position other than the approved cr itical r ace t heory position' :hat isnot the /ay for us to move for/ar- ' We also see this in the attac3s, of /hich /e hear- a -istantecho from Professor @elga-o earlier, on @aniel Moynihan, /ho has been a staunch liberal,strongly concerne- about minorities -uring his entire career, an- yet has been anathemi9e- for

ma3ing /hat /ere consi-ere- to be olitically incorrect statements' 4 -o not thin3 this is goingto lea- us for/ar-' An- finally, /hat 4 fear the most is the resonse that seeme- to be imlie- by one of the au-ience 5uestions earlier' 4f it is truethat American society is inherently racist, doesn*t that mean that it is essentiallyhopeless+ o/ this conclusion -oes not logically follo/ from that remise, any more than itlogically follo/s that if certain character traits have a genetic basis then it is hoeless to -oanything about them' But nevertheless, /e all recogni9e that /hen /e are tal3ing about in-ivi-uals an-

biology, these genetic theories ten- to discourage the idea of reform, an- ten- toreinforce , as a matter of social reality, the vie/ that any ba- behavior that /e see is 7ust inherent'4 thin3 /e can e=ect to see the same 3in- of thing /hen /e are -ealing /ith the sociologicale5uivalent involving the claim that there is this inherent genetic aw inmerican society' 2ou can see this most clearly in @erric3 Bell;s /ritings, /hich are re-olent of -esair an- /hich, inthat resect, curiously resemble ?obert Bor3;s /ritings, /ho is similarly convince- that the genetic fla/s of American society /illrevent it from ever achieving his vision of 7ustice'4t is true that we cannot a&ord to forget our history ' 4t is true that much of that history is unfortunate, if not /orse' But it is also true that if /e remain totally obsesse- /ith the fla/s of the ast, fi=ate- on their inevitability, /e are unli3ely to be able to move ast them an- movefor/ar-' An- in articular, it seems to me that if /e aroach to-ay;s roblems rimarily as an issue innger-pointing

, in blaming somebo-y or another, or in fin-ing the culrit, then /e are notli3ely to be able to unite our society in a 5uest to/ar- attac3ing those serious roblems'


16/28

And this .nsistence on moral purity and consistency of opposition to dominantinterests fails – black power and black nationalism ultimately empoweredconser+ati+e ideologies) e7re not li+ing in a world that marks the failure of ci+ilrights but the failure of radical black nationalism that displaced ci+il rights)

@aniel Hiram 8#!0T#.4 !ra-uate chool of E-ucation O Ber3eley EF Justice, Justice:

School Politics and the Eclipse of Liberalism ' #$)#*

:he @e/ey A/ar- seech amlifie- ?ustinDs ongoing concern about the role of e-ucation in theelimination of racial ine5uality' ituating e-ucational issues in the flui- olitical, race, an- classrelations of the +F8s, he /as convince- that blac3 e-ucational rogress -een-e- on /i-ersocial change an- that such change -een-e- on the ability of blac3s to ally themselves /ithrogressives among the /hite ma7ority' His aeal to teacher)unionists to /or3 for social

7ustice thus arallele- his conviction that blac3 school activists nee-e- to maintain ties to thelabor movement' 4n an earlier age, ?ustin argue-, immigrants /ith a 0minimal ublice-ucation1 coul- 0fin- 7obs an- become art of the ro-uctive system'1 At the time of the schoolcrisis, ho/ever, the 0automatic revolution1 left no room for the une-ucate- or the semi)s3ille-'1

An a/areness of this unrece-ente- nee- for e-ucation, ?ustin maintaine-, 0is /hy the schools

have become a rimary target of the ghetto activist'1 4f school reform /as the right issue for blac3 activists, community control of curriculum an- teacher emloyment by neighborhoo-school boar-s /as the /rong strategy' 4t gave 0riority to the issue of race recisely at a time

/hen, 0 /ith the abolition of legally enforce- segregation, 0the fun-amental 5uestions facing theegro an- American society ali3e are economic an- social'1 :he allure of community control,?ustin argue-, reflecte- the -ifficult olitical con-itions that confronte- blac3 activists in thelate +F8s' After a erio- -uring /hich civil rights a-vances ha- fe- blac3 hoes, AmericaDscommitment to racial e5uality ha- lost much of its force' As 0the en-ulum of history1 began0to s/ing -o/n/ar-1 to/ar- reaction, blac3 e=ectations for racial 7ustice shrivele- into-esair' African Americans reson-e- /ith 0a turning in/ar-1 heral-e- by calls for Blac3Po/er' Community control, in ?ustinDs eyes, e=emlifie- this ne/ 0olitics of frustration'1!roun-e- in the 0sychological1 nee- for ri-e in blac3 i-entity it offere- the illusion of

0olitical self-determination

in e-ucation1 to those 0so alienate- that they substituteself-epression for olitics'1 Ii3e the earlier searatist movements of Boo3er :' Washington an- Marcus !arvey, community control an- blac3 nationalist olitics more broa-ly0-erives not from liberal theory but from the heritage of conservatism' 4t is the siritual-escen-ent of states rights%” When strie- of the militant rhetoric that 0so oftencamouages its true signicance,1 community control institutionali9e- 0one of the

/orst evils in the history of this society _ segregation1 an- legitimi9e- 0the i-ea that segregate-e-ucation is in fact a erfectly resectable, erfectly -esirable, an- erfectly viable /ay of life ina -emocratic society' uch an aroach /as incaable of meeting the real nee-s of African

Americans' ?elying on a lumeni9e- 0blac3 slum roletariat1 that lac3e- the leverage of anin-ustrial /or3ing class to e=act concessions from society, Blac3 Po/er invocations of anti)colonial struggle in the ghetto coul- not 0create the recon-itions for successful, or even

authentic, revolution'1 ?ather, such calls /ere 0utoian for the`obvious reason that one)tenthof the oulation can not accomlish much by itself'1 A minority 0can only be rotecte- bylegal safeguards,1 ?ustin /arne-' 0Before /e are ermitte- to imose our /ill on thema7ority of Americans /e /ill be crushe-'1 Even /ithin the blac3 community, ?ustin argue-,the searatist fantasy of community control inhibited

the struggle for social e5uality'@iscounting /or3ing)class roonents of community control, ?ustin charge- that thelea-ershi of the fight for the egro to comletely ta3e over the schools in the ghetto is not the

/or3ing oor`it is not the roletariat`:his is a fight on the art of the e-ucate- egro mi--leclass to ta3e over the schools`not in the interest of blac3 chil-ren, or a better e-ucational


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system, but in their interest because they have no/here to go economically' Much li3e ro7ectsof ghetto)base- blac3 caitalism, community control 0-eeene-N the class conflict /ithin theegro community1 an- thus subverte- the very community it invo3e-'

And their adherence to revolutionary rhetoric is an impossibly flawed politicalstrategy-it has no method of persuading people in power to ,oin them because they

can7t connect on any le+el to institutional +alues) 2onstructi+e appeals to whatcould be are a basic rhetorical requirement6pro+es our counter ad+ocacy is moreeffecti+e and that their language can7t take us to a changed world)

Celeste 2349.T eech Communication O !eorgia A49 %ohn !:2A.T#0 eech Comm' O4n-iana 75' 0Malcolm an- the Iimits of the ?hetoric of ?evolutionary @issent1 Journal of

Black Studies "$ ($ ' $8#)$8

:>WA?@ C>4@E?A:4> >6 :HE I4M4: >6:HE ?HE:>?4C >6 ?E>IU:4>A?2@4E: Malcolm /as the heral- of the revolution of Blac3 consciousness in the +F8s' Hehele- to give Blac3 America the self) confi-ence to scare White America into negotiating /ith it(see Cone, ++G Iucaites & Con-it, +8' :he limits of that revolutionary rhetoric are all too

clear to-ay' Malcolm -i- not change the racist un-erinnings of America;s economicstructures, nor -i- he have a very -irect imact on altering America;s olitical system' :heselimits, ho/ever, can har-ly be locate- in Malcolm himself, for as a lea-er he stretche- both hiso/n thoughts an- the vision of Blac3 America far beyon- the social an- olitical hori9ons thatha- been ublicly articulate- rior to his e=ression of them' His inability to attract a largefollo/ing -erive- as much as anything from the fact that he /as so very far ahea- of his eoleGthey nee-e- time, the time they /oul- get uon his -eath, to catch u /ith him' :he limits thatMalcolm ultimately face- /ere inherent to a revolutionary rhetoric of -issent that leaveslanguage in control' ?evolutionary rhetoric tyically characteri9es itself as see3ing to change anentire social an- olitical system at one move, rather than to reform it iece by iece' @issent isal/ays against something' A -issenter can .tal3. revolution right u to the oint of violence, but

violence is antithetical to all i-eas)in-ee-, it is the very abrogation of i-eas' :he ultimate act of

-issent thus stan-s in fun-amental oosition to the crafting of a constructi+e rhetoric'Constructive rhetorics re5uire a commitment on the art of both sea3ers an- au-iences (oroonents in a -isute to common +alues, ho/ever ra-ical, /hich hol- a greater aeal thanthe enactment of violence' 4t /as thus not simly the ethics of the /orl- in /hich he oerate-that 3et Malcolm from launching an organi9e-, violent attac3 against White America' ?ather,it /as his implicit commitment to rhetoric as a means of social an- olitical action that le-him -o/n this ath' >ne might locate the roots of this commitment in his earlier e=eriences asa hustler an- confi-ence man' After all, a hustler may sometimes succee- by threatening

violence, but sel-om are such threats reali9e-' As @etroit ?e- in the +*8s, Malcolm ha- live-in the la/less an- violent un-er/orl- of Harlem, a /orl- lac3ing articulate values an-commitmentsG it /as not a /orl- he /ante- for his eole, an-, once he -iscovere- this, he-evote- his life to searching for viable alternatives' :he limits of Malcolm ;s revolutionary-issent /ere, therefore, limits /illingly, if uncomfortably, self)imose-' :hey /ere limitsinherent to rhetoric itself' A rhetor ta3es u the bur-en to ersua-e an au-ience, no matter ho/-ifficult the tas3, not to beat it into submission' Persuasion -een-s on the values an- beliefsthat e=ist or that can be reasonably constructe- in con7unction /ith an au-ience' 4t also re5uiressocial an- olitical negotiation , an- it esche/s the act of violence at all cost' A rhetor must,therefore, finally ab,ure a true re+olution, /hich calls for an unfettere- an- absolutere,ection of all that is, in favor of a torturous ath through the constructi+e visions of whatmight be) :his /as the ath that Malcolm chose, an- it is a ath that those /ho to-ay recall


18/28

his aeals to .the ballot or the bullet. an- to .all means necessary. as rallying cries forcontemorary olitical action /oul- -o /ell to reconsider'

Totalizing re,ection and ;burning it down= ra+ishes the en+ironment apner &? _ Associate Professor an- @irector of the !lobal Environmental Politics Programin the chool of 4nternational ervice at American University (Paul, !lobal Environmental

Politics, 6ebruary, 0:he 4mortance of Critical Environmental tu-ies in the e/Environmentalism,1 Pro7ect Muse:o many rea-ers, such 5uestions robably soun- familiar' Efforts to ri- the /orl- of /ar, overty, human rights abuses an- in7ustice in general areerennial challenges that re5uire heightene- comassion an- a commitment that transcen-s one;s time on earth' :he 5uestions are esecially relevant,ho/ever, to environmentalists' :hey reresent the 3in- of challenges /e constantly ose to ourselves an- to those /e try to convince to 7oin us' Environmental issues are some of the gravest -angers facing humanity an- all life on the lanet'

At their most imme-iate, environmental roblems un-ermine the 5uality of life for the oorest an- are increasingly ero-ing the 5uality of life of even

the affluent' At the e=treme, environmental challenges threaten to fracture the fun-amental organicinfrastructure that suorts life on Earth an- thus imeril life;s very survival' What to -oREnvironmental tu-ies is the aca-emic -isciline charge- /ith trying to figure this out' Ii3e 6eminist an- ?ace tu-ies, it emerge- out of a olitical movement an- thus never un-erstoo- itself as value)neutral'Coming on the heels of the mo-ern environmental movement of the +F8s, environmental stu-ies has -irecte- itself to/ar- un-erstan-ing the biohysical limits of the earth an- ho/ humans can live sustainablygiven those limits' As such, it has al/ays seen its normative commitments not as biases that mu--y its in5uiry but as -iscilining -irectives that focus scholarshi in scientifically an- olitically En- Page FNrelevant -irections' :o be sure, the -isciline;s natural scientists see themselves as ob7ective observers of the natural /orl- an- un-erstan- their /or3 as normative only to the -egree that it is shae- by the hoeof heling to solve environmental roblems' Most other/ise remain -etache- from the olitical con-itions in /hich their /or3 is assesse-' :he -isciline;s social scientists also maintain a stance of ob7ectivity tothe -egree that they resect the facts of the social /orl-, but many of them engage the olitical /orl- by offering olicy rescritions an- ne/ olitical visions'

What is it li3e to research an- teach Environmental tu-ies these -aysR Where -oes the normative -imension of the -isciline fit into contemorary olitical affairsR ecifically, ho/ shoul- social thin3ers /ithinEnvironmental tu-ies un-erstan- the alication of their normative commitmentsR?obert Co= once -istinguishe- /hat he calls .roblem)solving. theory from .critical theory'. :he former, /hich aims to/ar- social an- olitical reform, accets revailing o/er relationshis an- institutions an-imlicitly uses these as a frame/or3 for in5uiry an- action' As a theoretical enterrise, roblem)solving theory /or3s /ithin current ara-igms to a--ress articular intellectual an- ractical challenges' Criticaltheory, in contrast, 5uestions e=isting o/er -ynamics an- see3s not only to reform but to transform social an- olitical con-itions'+

Critical environmental theory has come un-er attac3 in recent years' As the -isciline has mature- an- furthercross)ollinate- /ith other fiel-s, some of us have become enamore- /ith continental hilosohy, cultural an- communicationstu-ies, high)level anthroological an- sociological theory an- a host of other insightful -iscilines that ten- to ste bac3 fromcontemorary events an- ara-igms of thought an- reveal structures of o/er that rero-ucesocial an- olitical life' While such engagement has refine- our ability to i-entify an- ma3e visible ime-iments tocreating a greener /orl-, it has also isolate- critical Environmental tu-ies from the broa-er -isciline an-,seemingly, the actual /orl- it is trying to transform' 4n-ee-, critical environmental theory has become almost a sub)-isciline to itself' 4t has -eveloe- a rarefie- language an-, increasingly, an insular au-ience' :o many, thishas ren-ere- critical theory not more but less olitically engage- as it scales the heights of thought only to be further -istance- from ractice' 4tincreasingly seems, to many, to be an imotent -iscourse reaching ra-ical i-eas to an alrea-yinitiate- choir'Critical Environmental tu-ies is also soun-ing flat these -ays coming off the heels of, arguably,

the most anti)environmentalist -eca-e ever' :he Bush A-ministration;s tenure has been an all)time lo/ for environmental rotection' :he A-ministration has installe- in-ustry)frien-lya-ministrators throughout the e=ecutive branch, rolle- bac3 -eca-es of -omestic environmentalla/ an- international environmental lea-ershi, olitici9e- scientific evi-ence an- e=resse- outrighthostility to almost any form of environmental regulation'" With the U as the global hegemon, itis har- to overestimate the imact these actions have ha- on /orl- environmental affairs'Being a olitically engage- environmental scholar has been -ifficult -uring the ast several years' 4n the U, instea- of being roactive, the environmental community has a-ote- a tye of rearguar- olitics in

/hich it has trie- simly to hol- the line against assaults on everything from the En-angere- ecies Act, e/ ource ?evie/ an- the Arctic ational Wil-life ?efuge to the Kyoto Protocol an- international

cooerative efforts to curb -eforestation an- loss of biological -iversity' >utsi-e the U , the environmental community has ha- tostruggle for ronounce- relevance in similar issues as it has oerate- in the sha-o/ of anenvironmentally)irresonsible hegemon' Much of the aca-emic /orl- has follo/e- suit, as it

/ere' 4n the U, it has foun- itself nee-ing to argue for basics li3e the 3no/le-ge ofenvironmental science, the /is-om of enforcing establishe- la/, the imortance of hol-ing

violators accountable an- the significance of the U to remain engage- in internationalenvironmental affairs' >utsi-e the U, the aca-emic community has fare- only marginally better' 6or instance, many in Euroe, /ho havelong a-vance- analyses of the formation an- imlementation of regimes, foun- themselves bac3e-aling as they /restle- /ith the significance of

international regimes absent hegemonic articiation' :he result is that the sace for /hat /as consi-ere- olitically)relevant scholarshi has shrun3 -ramaticallyG /hat use- to be consi-ere- roblem)solvingtheory has become so out of touch /ith olitical ossibility that it has been relegate- to themargins of contemorary thought' Put -ifferently, the realm of critical theory has gro/n tremen-ously as hitherto reasonable i-eashave increasingly aeare- ra-ical an- reviously ra-ical ones have been ushe- even further to the hinterlan-s of critical thought'

As /e enter the final stretch of the Bush A-ministration an- the /aning years of themillennium;s first -eca-e, the olitical lan-scae aears to be changing' 4n the U, a


19/28

@emocratic Congress, environmental action at the municial an- state levels, an- a gro/ingsense that a green foreign olicy may be a /ay to /ea3en global terrorism, enhance U energyin-een-ence an- re)establish U moral lea-ershi in the /orl-, have artially resuscitate- an-re)energi9e- environmental concern'$ Worl-/i-e, there seems to be a similar an- even more rofoun- shift as eole in all /al3sof life are recogni9ing the ecological, social an- economic effects of climate change, cororations are reali9ing that environmental action can ma3e

business sense, an- environmental values in general are ermeating even some of the most stubborn societies' :he .erfect storm. of

this combination is beginning to ut environmental issues firmly on the /orl-;s ra-ar screen' 4tseems that a ne/ -ay is arising for environmentalism an-, by e=tension, Environmental tu-ies' What role shoul- environmental scholarshi assume in this ne/ climateR ecifically, ho/ /ise is it to ursue critical Environmental tu-ies at such an

oortune momentR 4s it strategically useful to stu-y the outer reaches of environmental thought an-continue to reflect on the structural -imensions of environmental -egra-ation /hen the oliticalti-e seems to be turning an- roblem)solving theorists may once again haveot/ithstan-ing the romise of the ne/ environmental moment for as3ing fun-amental 5uestions, many may counsel caution to/ar- critical

Environmental tu-ies' :he olitical lan-scae may be changing the ear of those in o/erR 4s no/ the time to run to the rene/e-,aarently meaningful center or to cultivate more incisive critical environmental thoughtR

but it is unclear if critical Environmental tu-ies is reare- to ma3e itself relevant' 2ears of being -istant from oliticalinfluence has intensifie- the insularity an- arcane character of critical environmental theory,leaving the -isciline rusty in its ability to ma3e frien-s /ithin olicy circles' A--itionally, overthe ast fe/ years, the ublic has gro/n less oen to ra-ical environmental i-eas, as it has beenfe- a stea-y -iet of 5uestioning even the basics of environmental issues' 4n-ee-, that the Bush A-ministrationen7oye- years of bull-o9ing over environmental concern /ithout lou-, sustaine-, vocal oosition shoul- give us ause' 4t suggests that /e shoul- note=ect too much, too soon' :he /orl- is still ensconce- in an age of global terrorG the .high. olitics of national security an- economic ro-uctivitycontinue to over)sha-o/ environmental issuesG an- the ublic nee-s to be slo/ly seasone- to the insights an- arguments of critical theory before it canareciate their imortance


20/28

analogy, roblem)solving theory in Environmental tu-ies has li3e/ise /on legitimacy an- aearsarticularly attractive as a ne/ environmental -ay is, arguably, beginning to -a/n' 4t hasclaime- itself to be the most reasonable an- olicy)relevant' But, /e must as3 ourselves, ho/ realistic is roblem)solving theory /hen the numbers of eole currently suffering from environmental -egra-ation


21/28

of /hales an- con-ors


22/28

%nc – recognition disad

Hour affirmation reinforces white dominance by conditioning them to seek therecognition of outsiders in order to +alidate their political strategy) :sing the

ballot to recognize their effort lea+es them more silent and less in control whiletilting our of analysis away from the political economy locking in white supremacy --- if their argument is that they7ll do exactly the same thing #$A9!#00 of

which way you +ote that7s a 4#$ A$:/#4T because that pro+es there is nointrinsic +alue in a +ote for the aff

Alexander Fctober "88* +(+, g' +)++N

4n his reflections on American multiculturalism, Michael Wal9er -escribes /hat he vie/s as the transition, over thecourse of the "8th century, from minority olitics mar3e- by timi-ity an- silence to those of noisyarguments an- assertiveness' :he ra-ical character of American luralism, he argues, is much more aarent to-ayGminorities are no longer e=ecte- to lay their instrument in agreeable harmony in a symhonycomose- by /hite, Christian, English sea3ing, male o/er)hol-ers' >r are theyR Wal9er correctly asserts that the U

is a far more egalitarian lace socially, though not economically, than it /as si=ty years ago, yet, uon close analysis of theolitics of recognition an- reresentation, it becomes less clear /hether /e are beyon- the reachof a /hite symhony or scrit' :hough changes in the social atmoshere may allo/ for a cacohony of minority voices /ithin formal olitics, this has not revente- white dominance fromreproducing itself /ithin movements for reresentation an- recognition' :his aer /ill e=lore thehilosohical commitments connecte- to the olitics of reresentation an- recognition (together, the olitics /hichstrive for an ac3no/le-gement of the i-entities of marginali9e- grous, an- /ill 5uestion /hethermembers of a -ominant grou can hel to romote soun-er reresentations of marginali9e- grous /ithout recreating forms of-ominance in the rocess' 4 /ill focus on efforts to ma3e gains for blac3 Americans, an- /ill argue that the ractice of such olitics

may leave blac3s more silent

, an- less in control

of their ro7ecte- i-entities, than /e /oul-hoe' 4 /ill finally turn my analysis to the rero-uction of /hite -ominance /ithin the realm of stu-ent activism, articularly onHarvar-Ds camus'

4t is first necessary to -istinguish 0recognition1 an- 0reresentation1 from each other' Both have been use-

to/ar- similar en-s, yet their hilosohical ositions an- metho-ologies are -istinct an- thus re5uirein-ivi-uali9e- attention' 0?eresentation1 has been the sub7ect of much aca-emic in5uiry since about the mi-)+F8s, /hen feminist,minority an- ostcolonial thin3ers, among others, began 0e=lo-ing the notion that reresentation /or3s innocently ortransarently1 (%ay ' :he o/er to name an- -escribe another or oneself translates into very real olitical caital' :he concetionsthat grous hol- of each other _ as false or anti5uate- as they usually are _ carry a great -eal of /eight, articularly /ithinmulticultural societies /here such concetions mar3 rivilege for -ominant grous' :he olitics of recognition an- reresentationreson- to such revailing (misconcetions, as actors see3 to brea3 -o/n the cultural an- olitical monooly of -ominant grous'

:he main -istinction bet/een reresentation an- recognition is the location of o/er an-agencyG /ith recognition, the power of the recogni$er is taken for granted andremains unchallenged' !rous are still struggling to have their i-entities vali-ate- throughthe recognition of another' Charles :aylor -efines the politics of recognition thus 0A olitics that as3sus to ac3no/le-ge socially an- olitically the authentic i-entities of others1 (in Aiah, "' :he e=istence of an0authentic i-entity1 is arguable, still, /ith this -efinition, the o/er to ac3no/le-ge (in-ee-, the o/er even to recogni9ean i-entity as authentic or inauthentic -oes not shift _ an- the structure of the authoritative sub7ect an-

its 0other1 remains' K' Anthony Aiah e=an-s uon this irony of recognition, using the e=amleof blac3 American i-entity


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a% personal experience

to tell me that my self reflective CH>4CE to not erform a narrative of my ersonal e=erience is /hiteness ))) 4 -i-nDt /ant to be visible to avoi- surveillance, voyeurism an- attemts at

imerial ossession an- incororation'Peggy 8>#!A4 Chair 2U Performance tu-ies @et' 5' Unmarked ' )#N:he current contra-iction bet/een 0i-entity olitics1 /ith its accent on visibility, an- the sychoanalyticLl-econstructionist mistrust

(if visibility as she source of unity or /holeness nee-s to he refigure-, if not resolve-' As the left -e-icates ever moreenergy to visibility olitics, 4 am increasingly trouble- by the forgetting of the roblems of

visibility so successfully articulate- by feminist film theorists in 4 he +8s an- +#8s' 4 am not suggesting thatcontinue- invisibility is the 0roer1 olitical agen-a for the -isenfranchise-, but' rather that' the binary bet/een theo/er of visibility an- the imotency of invisibility is falsifying' :here is real o/er in remainingunmar3e-G an- there are serious limitations to visual reresentation as a olitical goal'isibility is a trap (04n this matter oft he visible, everything is a tra1 (Iacan Four Fundamental Concepts $G itsummons surveillance an- the la/G it rovo3es voyeurism, fetishism, the colonialistLimerialaetite for ossession ' 2et it retains a certain olitical aeal' isibility olitics have ractical conse5uences a line can be-ra/n bet/een a ractice (getting someone seen or rea- an- a theory (if you are seen it' is har-er for 0them1 to ignore you, to

construct a unitive canonG the t/o can be rero-uctive' While there is a -eely ethical aeal in the -esire fora more inclusive reresentational lan-scae an- certainly un-er)reresente- communities can be emo/ere- by anenhance- visibility, the terms of this visibility often enervate the utative o/er of these i-entities' Amuch more nuance- relationshi to the o/er of visibility nee-s to be ursue- than the Ieftcurrently engages'1 Arguing that communities of the hitherto un-er)reresente- /ill be ma-estronger if reresentational economies reflect an- see them, rogressive cultural activists havesta3e- a huge amount on increasing an- e=an-ing the visibility of racial , ethnic, an- se=ual0others '

1 4t is assume- that -isenfranchise- communities /ho see their members /ithin thereresentational fiel- /ill feel great or ri-e in being Part, of such a community an- those /ho are notin such a community /ill increase their un-erstan-ing of the -iversity an- strength of such communities' 4mlicit /ithin this

argument' are several resumtions /hich bear further scrutiny + 4-entities are visibly mar3e- so the resemblance bet/een the African)American on the television an- the African)American on the street hels the observer see they are members ofthe same community' ?ea-ing hysical resemblance is a /ay of; i-entifying community' " :he relationshi bet/een reresentationan- i-enity is linear an- smoothly mimetic, What one sees is /ho one is' $ 4f one;s mimetic li3eness is not reresente-' one is not

a--resse-' *' 4ncrease- visibility e5uals increase- o/er' Each resumtion reflects the i-eology ofthe visible, an i-eology /hich erases the o/er of the unmar3e-, unso3en, an- unseen'

8ersonal experience isn7t bad for debate but debate is bad for personal experience6it forces you the ,udge to render the +alue of a person7s intimate and manytimes traumatic experiences6this is epistemically +iolent and turns the case

%u-ith ":T!# is Ma=ine Elliot Professor in the @eartments of ?hetoric an- ComarativeIiterature at the University of California, Ber3eley, 1 0!iving an Account of >neself,1 Diacritics $+'* ("88+ "")*8, Pro7ect MuseNBut here, an- for the time being, my concern is /ith a susect coherence that sometimes attaches to narrative an-, secifically, /iththe /ay in /hich narrative coherence may foreclose uon an ethical resource , namely, an accetanceof the limits of 3no/ability in oneself an- others' 4t may even be that to hol- a erson accountable forhis or her life in narrative form is to re"uire a falsication of that life in the nameof a certain conception of ethics' 4n-ee-, if /e re5uire that someone be able to tell instory form the reasons /hy his or her life has ta3en the ath it has , that is, to be a coherentautobiograher, it may be that /e refer the seamlessness of the story to something /e mighttentatively call the truth of the erson , a truth /hich, to a certain -egree, an- for reasons /e have alrea-ysuggeste-, is in-icate- more ra-ically as an interrution' 4t may be that stories have to be


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interrute-, an- that for interrution to ta3e lace, a story has to be un-er/ay ' :his brings me closerto the account of the transference 4 /oul- li3e to offer, a transference that might be un-erstoo- as a reeate-ethical ractice' 4n-ee-, En- Page $*N if, in the name of ethics, /e re5uire that another -o a certain

violence to herself , an- -o it in front of us , offering a narrative account or, in-ee-, a confession,then, conversely, it may be that by ermitting, sustaining, accommo-ating the interrution, acertain ractice of nonviolence recisely follo/s ' 4f violence is the act by /hich a sub7ect see3s to reinstall its

mastery an- unity, then nonviolence may /ell follo/ from living the ersistent challenge to mastery that our obligations to othersre5uire' Although some /oul- say that to be a slit sub7ect, or a sub7ect /hose access to itself is oa5ue an- not self)groun-ing, is recisely

not to have the groun-s for agency an- the con-itions for accountability, it may be that this /ay in /hich /e are , fromthe start, interrute- by alterity an- not fully recoverable to ourselves, in-icates the /ay in

/hich /e are, from the start, ethically imlicate- in the lives of others'

:he oint here is not to celebrate a certain notion of incoherence, but only to consi-er that ourincoherence is inera-icable but nontotali9ing, an- that it establishes the /ay in /hich /e areimlicate- , behol-en, -erive-, constitute- by /hat is beyon- us an- before us' 4f /e say that theself must be narrate-, that only the narrate- self can be intelligible, survivable , then /e say that

/e cannot survive /ith an unconscious' We say, in effect, that the unconscious threatens us /ithan insuortable unintelligibility, an- for that reason /e must oose it' :he .4. /ho ma3es

such an utterance /ill surely , in one form or another, be besieged precisely by what itdisavows' :his stan-, an- it is a stan-, it must be a stan-, an uright, /a3eful, 3no/ing stan-,

believes that it survives /ithout the unconscious or, if it accets an unconscious, accets it assomething /hich is thoroughly recuerable by the 3no/ing .4,. as a ossession erhas,

believing that the unconscious can be fully an- e=haustively translate- into /hat is conscious' 4tis easy to see this as a -efen-e- stance, for it re

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