Time for Outrage!
Encyclopedia
Time for Outrage! is the English translation of the bestselling tract Indignez-vous ! by the French diplomat, member of the French Resistance
and concentration camp survivor Stéphane Hessel
. Published in France in 2010, it has sold nearly 1.5 million copies in France and has been translated into numerous other languages.
at the end of the Second World War, pointing out that outrage was at its roots. He then outlines two somewhat contradictory views of history that have both influenced him, that of the French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, who was his teacher at the Ecole normale superieure
in Paris
and that of the German writer Walter Benjamin
, who was a collaborator with and a close friend of his father, Franz Hessel
. The author asserts that indifference is the worst of attitudes. He speaks of his experience among the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and exhorts young people to look around for topics of indignation. He then presents his own principal indignation at present, the strife in Palestine
, the Gaza strip
and the West Bank
. He ends the tract by calling for non-violent action and for a peaceful uprising against the powers of finance capitalism
.
, the 32-page booklet sold almost a million copies within the first ten weeks. It was a Christmas best-seller. It has been criticized for being poorly written and too short, but even critics have acknowledged the booklet has tapped into popular anger.
It has been translated into English, German, Spanish, Italian, Basque, Catalan, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Romanian , Greek and Hebrew . More translations are planned in Slovenian, Korean, Japanese, Swedish, Chinese and other languages.
against corruption and bipartisan politics was Los Indignados (The Outraged), taken from the title of the book's translation there (¡Indignados!). The Spanish protests later inspired other protests all around the world, including Greece, Israel and Occupy Wall Street
in the United States.
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
and concentration camp survivor Stéphane Hessel
Stéphane Hessel
Stéphane Frédéric Hessel is a diplomat, ambassador, writer, concentration camp survivor, former French Resistance fighter and BCRA agent. Born German, he became a naturalised French citizen in 1939...
. Published in France in 2010, it has sold nearly 1.5 million copies in France and has been translated into numerous other languages.
Content
The 93-year old author starts with a brief reference to his participation in the French ResistanceFrench Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
at the end of the Second World War, pointing out that outrage was at its roots. He then outlines two somewhat contradictory views of history that have both influenced him, that of the French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, who was his teacher at the Ecole normale superieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and that of the German writer Walter Benjamin
Walter Benjamin
Walter Bendix Schönflies Benjamin was a German-Jewish intellectual, who functioned variously as a literary critic, philosopher, sociologist, translator, radio broadcaster and essayist...
, who was a collaborator with and a close friend of his father, Franz Hessel
Franz Hessel
Franz Hessel was a German writer and translator.With Walter Benjamin, he produced a German translation of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu....
. The author asserts that indifference is the worst of attitudes. He speaks of his experience among the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
and exhorts young people to look around for topics of indignation. He then presents his own principal indignation at present, the strife in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, the Gaza strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
. He ends the tract by calling for non-violent action and for a peaceful uprising against the powers of finance capitalism
Finance capitalism
Finance capitalism is a term in Marxian political economics defined as the subordination of processes of production to the accumulation of money profits in a financial system. It is characterized by the pursuit of profit from the purchase and sale of, or investment in, currencies and financial...
.
Reception
In France, published by a small publisher in MontpellierMontpellier
-Neighbourhoods:Since 2001, Montpellier has been divided into seven official neighbourhoods, themselves divided into sub-neighbourhoods. Each of them possesses a neighbourhood council....
, the 32-page booklet sold almost a million copies within the first ten weeks. It was a Christmas best-seller. It has been criticized for being poorly written and too short, but even critics have acknowledged the booklet has tapped into popular anger.
It has been translated into English, German, Spanish, Italian, Basque, Catalan, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Romanian , Greek and Hebrew . More translations are planned in Slovenian, Korean, Japanese, Swedish, Chinese and other languages.
Influence
In 2011, one of the names given to the 2011 Spanish protests2011 Spanish protests
The 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
against corruption and bipartisan politics was Los Indignados (The Outraged), taken from the title of the book's translation there (¡Indignados!). The Spanish protests later inspired other protests all around the world, including Greece, Israel and Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
in the United States.
See also
- 2011 Spanish protests2011 Spanish protestsThe 2011 Spanish protests, also referred to as the 15-M Movement and the Indignants movement, are a series of ongoing demonstrations in Spain whose origin can be traced to social networks and Real Democracy NOW among other civilian digital platforms and 200 other small associations...
- Reacts
- Democracia real YaDemocracia real Ya¡Democracia Real YA! , also known as Plataforma Democracia Real Ya! , is a grassroots citizens' organization that was started in March 2011 in Spain, and that by May 15 sparked the political movement of the 2011 Spanish protests, which gained world wide attention and has been inspired by the...
- Financial Crisis of 2008
External links
- Author of Time for Outrage! Stéphane Hessel interviewed by Juan GonzálezJuan Gonzalez (journalist)Juan González is an American progressive broadcast journalist and investigative reporter. He has also been a columnist for the New York Daily News since 1987...
on Democracy Now!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
October 10, 2011 - Time for Outrage! Charles GlassCharles GlassCharles Glass is an American author, journalist, and broadcaster specializing in the Middle East. He writes regularly for The Spectator, was ABC News chief Middle East correspondent from 1983–93, and has worked as a correspondent for Newsweek and The Observer...
Books, official website (2011). Retrieved March 17, 2011 - Indigène éditions Official website, French edition. Retrieved March 17, 2011
- empörteuch.com German translation of Indignez-vous! Website with additional information about the book and Stéphane Hessel
- ¡Indignaos! Slideshare. Spanish translation of Indignez-vous! Retrieved February 23, 2011
- Get Involved ! Official website for Stephane Hessel's new book "Get involved !" (Engagez-vous !)