Achille Mbembe Necropolitics

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In the article Necropolitics by Achille Mbembe speaks on a lot of issue that had a lasting effect on the U.S. today. Mbembe spoke on slavery and its effects on the society, the slaves, and the details of the spiritual and emotional damage that was formed. Mbembe speaks in great detail about the state of exception and establishes a direct comparison between slavery and the state of exception. While lacking certain rights, slaves were also referred to as people living death. And while sounding contradictory, Mbembe goes into great detail about what true life is and how different it was to the surviving that the slaves had to endure. He introduces many more ideas about the community of the slaves and what kind of psychological binds the slaves …show more content…

Mbembe tells us that the slaves experienced this first hand. The slaves were stripped of their homes, possession of their own bodies, and political standing. Mbembe describes this as, “absolute domination, natal alienation, and social death” (Mbembe 21). This means that the slaves were no longer their own people. They had absolutely no rights. Every move they made was calculated for them and their sole purpose was not of their own pleasure, but for another man whose life was more “valuable”. Slavery is 100% absolute domination. Not only did the masters have control over the slaves bodies for physical labor and sometimes sexual pleasure, but they also controlled their minds in a way. It only makes sense that the slaves should rebel or try to run away or say no, but the psychological restrictions came through the bodily punishment and violence. Through the whippings and watching friends and loved ones being lynched or raped, one’s mind can alter. The hope of freedom becomes a distant memory and the drive to stay alive and in the likings of your master became the primary focus for many slaves, I’m inferring. Natal alienation also …show more content…

There is no living, only surviving; this couldn’t be truer. The slaves were perfect examples of being dead while alive. Being alive entails making your own decisions. Being able to take your family out to dinner in Fiji even if you just got fired and you’re running low on money. Living is being able to argue about why The Office is one of the best comedic shows in the world. Living is loving and learning and laughing and any other clichés you can think of. Being alive has fire in it. There is a sense of independence and togetherness that are both ravenous and enthralling while also being slightly terrifying. The slaves never encountered an ounce of truly living. They were just bodies needed to do work. They were “trained” to never speak out of turn or defy the authorities or have an opinion. Their opinions didn’t matter because they were merely cattle. They couldn’t make their own decisions. If they tried, they would be beaten or killed. They stopped being humans and became objects. The slave works to work another day. Their rights had been discarded. They were as alive as a turtle in a pond if not less. Confined to a life of pain and what ifs, the slaves were slaves. They were nothing more, maybe a little less. It’s almost like a little triumphant tale. They gave up their lives instead of giving up so that we may live

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