Revolution this process takes on a special, uniquely subversive, connotation (as Wall suggests too). In Haiti the question of commodification and its defiance, the means by which idolatry is combatted (by its own mechanisms) is rendered exceptionally literal and readily exportable, a source, as we have already seen, of radicalization of other movements, other places and (potentially) other times. With these thoughts in mind, let us turn to a consideration of some of the specifics of the Haitian Revolution. As previously noted, I will first turn to a consideration of Toussaint Louverture and the way he understood the rights bestowed (or not) “universal” by the French Revolution, before turning to a consideration of the larger Haitian community of ex-slaves and their own reception of these principles. As we will see, when we move from a consideration of the leader to we also move revolution’s “the masses,” closer to an anarchist, collective response to the problem of political phantasm. This is not to take away from as a military and political leader but only to Toussaint’s genius note the tremendous subversive power that comes with greater degrees of misinterpellation. The of Toussaint Louverture “hesitations” In his own considerations of Toussaint, C.L.R. James directly tackles the strange duality of the revolutionary to French/universal law. James cites leader’s approach Toussaint as took up arms for the freedom of my colour, which France alone writing “I proclaimed, but which she has no right to nullify. Our liberty is no longer in her hands: it is in our own. We will defend it or we see an idea which will be quite perish.” Here persistent in writings and sayings; the idea that French law is true, even if the Toussaint’s
Revolution this process takes on a special, uniquely subversive, connotation (as Wall suggests too). In Haiti the question of commodification and its defiance, the means by which idolatry is combatted (by its own mechanisms) is rendered exceptionally literal and readily exportable, a source, as we have already seen, of radicalization of other movements, other places and (potentially) other times. With these thoughts in mind, let us turn to a consideration of some of the specifics of the Haitian Revolution. As previously noted, I will first turn to a consideration of Toussaint Louverture and the way he understood the “universal” rights bestowed (or not) by the French Revolution, before turning to a consideration of the larger Haitian community of ex-slaves and their own reception of these principles. As we will see, when we move from a consideration of the revolution’s leader to “the masses,” we also move closer to an anarchist, collective response to the problem of political phantasm. This is not to take away from Toussaint’s genius as a military and political leader but only to note the tremendous subversive power that comes with greater degrees of misinterpellation. The “hesitations” of Toussaint Louverture In his own considerations of Toussaint, C.L.R. James directly tackles the strange duality of the revolutionary leader’s approach to French/universal law. James cites Toussaint as writing “I took up arms for the freedom of my colour, which France alone proclaimed, but which she has no right to nullify. Our liberty is no longer in her hands: it is in our own. We will defend it or perish.” Here we see an idea which will be quite persistent in Toussaint’s writings and sayings; the idea that French law is true, even if the