Page 29 - Colonization and Decolonization: A Manual for Indigenous Liberation in the 21st Century

4. DECOLONIZATION IN NORTH AMERICA
"Colonial exploitation, poverty, and endemic. famine drive the native more & more to open organized revolt. The necessity for an open and decisive breach is formed progressively and imperceptibly, and comes to be felt by the great majority of the people. Those tensions which hitherto were non-existent come into being. International events, the collapse of whole sections of colonial empires and the contradictions inherent in the' colonial system strengthen and uphold the native's combativity while promoting and giving support to national consciousness."
(Frantz Fanon, Wretched a/the Earth, p. 238).
Decolonization, the liberation of an oppressed & colonized
people, must ultimately mean the liberation of land & territory. Just as
colonialism occurs in ways unique to each situation, so too does
decolonization. When we consider this process in regards to our own
situation in N. America, it becomes clear that decolonization will be far
different than other anti-colonial liberation struggles. It will more closely
resemble the collapse of an empire, arising from both external & internal
factors. History has many examples of the decline and collapse of
imperial systems, including those of the Romans and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
Decline of the Roman Empire
Ancient Rome, which once ruled from Western Europe to North Africa, rose & collapsed'within the span ofjust
over 1,000 years. The period ofits greatest expansion into an empire was during 200 AD to 400 BC, a period ofjust 600 years. In the end, it collapsed due to overextension of its military forces, political corruption & instability, internal social decline & rebellion.
More police & repressive laws failed to stop ongoing revolts by slaves, peasants, and colonies, while more soldiers sent to the frontiers could not stop growing tribal insurgencies (often led by war chiefs formerly trained by the Roman military).
. The more imperial-power Rome gained through conquest, the greater the wealth & privilege ofits citizens. At the -same time, the more it conquered, the more divided its society became as new colonized subjects & territories were
assimilated.
In the end, Rome faced both internal & external threats that converged to create a systemic breakdown. Rome
itselfwas invaded, looted, and even occupied for periods oftime by the same 'barbarian' tribes it had invaded & colonized.
Collapse of the USSR
In the 1970s, the USSR seemed all-powerful & monolithic. It was the second largest super-power next to the US,
dominating eastern Europe and numerous 'client states' in Africa and Asia. In the 1980s, however, it was involved in a losing war in Afghanistan, which cost billions & demoralized much ofthe domestic population Gust as Vietnam had done to the US). Soviet citizens became increasingly disillusioned with the political system, dominated by the corrupt Communist Party. The economy continued to decline as the country experienced a worsening ecological crisis. This resulted from widespread industrial pollution & waste, and included the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster. Entire regions & lakes were turned into deserts or wastelands. By 1991, these factors converged and lead to the collapse ofthe USSR, when many ofthe republics seceded & declared independence.
Decline of the USA
. Today, the US dominates the global imperialist system, seemingly all-powerful. Nevertheless, it faces both internal & external threats not unlike those found in Rome, but on afar greater scale. Its military forces are spread around the world, in Europe, S. America, Africa, and Asia. Nearly 150,000 combat troops are presently deployed in Iraq & Afghanistan. On its southern border, poverty & exploitation have driven millions of Mexicans to immigrate into the US, while creating insurgent movements within Mexico itself.
Internally, the US is more polarized & divided than at any time since the Vietnam War (a period characterized by widespread rebellion & resistance). Many citizens have become increasingly disillusioned with the political system, ranging from leftists to right-wing 'Patriot' movements. The 2000 US presidential elections, which saw George W. Bush take power, are seen by many as the result of electoral fraud, in which millions of primarily African-American votes were disqualified in Florida.
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