A government or a party gets the people it deserves and sooner or later a people gets the government it deserves.
Anti-Semitism hits me on the head: I am enraged, I am bled white by an appalling battle, I am deprived of the possibility of being man. I cannot disassociate myself from the future that is proposed for my brother.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses deep anger and despair over anti-Semitism and a shared future with others affected by it.
Frantz Fanon articulates the profound impact of anti-Semitism on his identity and humanity. He conveys a sense of rage and helplessness, indicating that such discrimination not only harms individuals but also strips away their potential for a dignified existence. Moreover, he emphasizes the interconnectedness of human experiences, stating that his future is inextricably linked to that of others who suffer similar fates. This reflects a broader human struggle against oppression and signifies the need for solidarity in the face of injustice.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on social justice, you could use this quote to highlight the emotional impact of discrimination.
More from Frantz Fanon
All quotes →When we revolt it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe.
Certain things need to be said if one is to avoid falsifying the problem.
I want the world to recognize with me the open door of every consciousness
The gaze that the colonized subject casts at the colonist's sector is a look of lust, a look of envy. Dreams of possession. Every type of possession; of sitting at the colonist's table and sleeping in his bed, preferably with his wife. The colonized man is an envious man.
Hate demands existence, and he who hates has to show his hate in appropriate actions and behaviors; in a sense, he has to become hate. That is why the Americans have substituted discrimination for lynching.
Similar quotes
My doctrine is this, that if we see cruelty or wrong that we have the power to stop, and do nothing, we make ourselves sharers in the guilt.
For us, warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior is not someone who fights, because no one has the right to take another life. The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to take care of the elderly, the defenseless, those who can not provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity.
Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy.
When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath... I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. After each few metres this too fizzles out in unending tiredness. Then I think nothing. I let myself fall, just lie there. For an indefinite time I remain completely irresolute. Then I make a few steps again.
I went to Iraq in 2004 because I believe in doing my duty, not because I agreed with the war.
Cancer didn't change me at all. I know lots of people talk about the life revelation. I didn't have that.