Vijay Prashad

A thought-provoking examination of the Third World's anti-colonial struggles in the C20th, from co-operating to try and make their agenda herd in the UN to organizing as a Non-Aligned Movement to distance thmselvs from both First and Second world interference. There are case studies of liberation movements which are often, to quote Franz Fanon, "better at the struggle for freedom or the creation of manifestos than governance", sometimes usurped by military coups (frequently sposored by the show more US) or by elites who speak "freedom" but are closely aligned with the First world capitalists who of course will only give financial assistance (at extortionate interest rates) in return for corporate concessions that don't benefit the local people. In the end it's an instructive but depressing book. Highly recommended. show less

A strong start and a whimpering finish.

Prashad illustrates the philosophical deadzone of enlightenment and democracy that is colonialism in a way that is compelling and brutal in its depiction of imperialist governments. However, the anti-imperialist frame softens and weakens as imperialist powers discard outright colonial barbarity for subtler financial destabilization, NGO displacement of government duties, and lawfare. The theory that they all stem from the same imperialism becomes less show more and less convincing as the book progresses.

For example, Prashad devotes an entire chapter to Brazil's lawfare coup and the rise of the far right government of Jair Bolsonaro as though it is performed by US government agencies rather than an endogenous fascist movement. It is always the imperialist, never the local bourgeoisie, that threaten popular movements. Lenin and then Stalin made ideological concessions of convenience a hundred years ago, and anti-imperialist intellectual development arrested there: The only way to destroy capitalism is to undermine imperialism, the only way to undermine imperialism is national liberation, and the only path towards liberation is the national bourgeoisie in control of a nation state. A lingering side effect of this is that any attempt to alleviate suffering outside of a national bourgeois is denounced, whether by a workers movement attempting to destroy capitalism, or NGOs inside a national territory, are branded a threat to anti-imperialism, and by association, capitalist. The former isn't mentioned in the book, but the latter is, for sure. show less

This is largely a sociological history book, discussing various race relations.

But, in the middle of it is this amazing criticism of multiculturalism and the idea that we aren't (and can't) be strictly segregated into arbitrarily defined 'pure' culture bubbles: that's just not how culture works. We borrow from, adapt, reinvent and change as people, and trying to define strict cultural bounderies is counterproductive.

I'm still digesting all the thoughts in here, but I love it, and it seems show more to echo so much of the shortcomings of multiculturalism I've seen myself. show less

In his book, The Darker Nations, Vijay Prashad analyses the third world of the twentieth century as a project to unite formerly colonized states of Asia, Africa, and South and Central America. He looks at the major issues confronting them as they seek to build their own futures: their shared and separate ideologies, struggles for achieve economic and cultural autonomy from their former colonizers. He examines both their wins and the pitfalls they confront including monetary debt to the the show more IMP and the World Bank and whether to embrace the first world or to avoid its influence.

Like so many in the global north, my studies and knowledge of history has been mainly Eurocentric with little reference to the Third World. As a result, Prashad's book was a real eye opener for me. The book is divided into different nations which makes it easier to read and understand the differences and similarities between the different nations. He also avoids pedantry making it a fairly easy read for those with little or no knowledge of the problems former colonized nations faced and still face. First published in 2008, it is still as relevant and important today and I recommend it highly.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and The New Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review show less