[R-G] Saami [Lapp]

[Aaron Aarons]

>From: "Richard Menec" <menecraj at shaw.ca>
>Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 09:51:42 -0600
>Subject: Re: [R-G] Saami [Lapp]
>
>>I would think that radical anti-capitalists would also be radical
>>egalitarians, and not think that anybody deserves more of the earth or its
>>benefits more than anybody else....
>
>Uh, you're missing a lot here. There are certain *classes* of people who consider the entire earth fair game for conquest, for pillage and for destruction. For rape and murder. For profit. Their actions have left communities and entire nations destitute, homeless, raped, and without resources for future generations. And they roam around a lot....
>
>There are other classes of people who actually lived sustainably on this land -- who were in fact stewards of the land -- who did not commit such monstrous crimes. And they were stewards of the land before the invaders came 'round....
>
>Richard

I don't know if we disagree or not. My argument is that descendants of the pillagers don't deserve the benefits of pillage in the sense of having more rights than surviving descendants of those who were pillaged. I also believe that people living on the land, provided they don't occupy a disproportionate share (in terms of its ability to feed and sustain people) of such land, should be left to live where they are without being pillaged or otherwise imposed upon, and should receive their share of the material benefits that have accrued to the rich of the world at least partly as a consequence of their past oppression. That means respecting the rights of both indigenous peoples and peasant farmers, but not of landlords and capitalists.

In general,  I believe that treating all people as equals regardless of their origins is the only way of living together on the planet. We also all need to learn to live sustainably, regardless of how many generations we are removed from our own indigenous roots -- whatever that may mean for those whose ancestors have moved voluntarily or been displaced over and over again over the millennia since all our ancestors left Africa.

I'm not sure how clear I've been in writing this as I am about to fall asleep, but I hope that the discussion will continue. There is far too little discussion on this "discussion" list.

 - Aaron