EP 812 What is Settler Colonialism and Why is it Catching On in Some Circles?

EP 812 What is Settler Colonialism and Why is it Catching On in Some Circles?

 Since Hamas’s attack on Israel last October 7,2023 the term “settler colonialism” has become central to public debate about Israel and the Palestinians, particularly in academic circles and among young people.  And while the concept may be new to most Americans, settler colonialism is shaping the way many people think about the history of the United States, Israel and Palestine. It is a history we share along with countries like Canada and Australia, whose modern identity is based on having subjugated Indigenous Peoples in order to establish what we recognize today.  So, the question then becomes, centuries later, is our founding, its core documents and political legitimacy illegitimate?  If you believe that it is, then what is the remedy?  Decolonize?  Make reparations?  Or look away because the claims and remedies may be too difficult to even imagine.  Adam Kirsch, author of “On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence, and Justice”, joins us to try to make sense out of a fascinating, but difficult, subject.


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