Time for Outrage!

The 94-year-old author starts with a brief reference to his participation in the French Resistance 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 colleague 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 opening lines of the booklet were “Ninety-three years old. The last leg of my journey. The end is in sight. I am lucky to be able to seize the time I have left to reflect on my lifelong commitment to politics: the Resistance and the program designed sixty-six years ago by the National Council of the Resistance.”

In France, published by a small publisher in Montpellier, the 32-page booklet sold almost a million copies within the first ten weeks. It was a Christmas best-seller.Angelique Chrisafis, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/26/stephane-hessel-93-french-bestseller "Political essay by 93-year-old tops Christmas bestseller list in France"] The Guardian (December 26, 2010). Retrieved March 16, 2011 It has been criticized for being poorly written and too short, but even critics have acknowledged the booklet has tapped into popular anger.John Lichfield, [https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-lichfield/john-lichfield-are-we-looking-for-a-new-message-ndash-or-a-new-messiah-2177934.html "Are we looking for a new message – or a new Messiah?"] The Independent (January 7, 2011). Retrieved March 16, 2011 In the beginning of January 2011, “Indignez-vous!” was at the headlines of German newspapers, even if the book was not translated at this calendar date into German and only available in French.{{cite web |title= Indignez- vous ! – Empört euch ! Sur la une de la Rheinpfalz du Mardi 4. Janvier 2011 |url= http://cneffpaysages.blog.lemonde.fr/2011/01/04/indignez-vous-%e2%80%93-emport-euch-sur-la-une-de-la-rheinpfalz-du-mardi-4-janvier-2010/ |access-date= 2013-02-27 |archive-date= 2011-01-09 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110109095326/http://cneffpaysages.blog.lemonde.fr/2011/01/04/indignez-vous-%E2%80%93-emport-euch-sur-la-une-de-la-rheinpfalz-du-mardi-4-janvier-2010 |url-status= dead }}

It has been translated into English, German,Empört Euch! Translation by Michael Kogon. Ullstein Buchverlage GmbH, Berlin (2011) Spanish, Galician, Italian, Basque,Juan Luis Zabala, [http://paperekoa.berria.info/plaza/2011-03-03/035/001/haserretu_zaitezte_matxinadarako_dei_bat_salmenta_markak_hausten.htm "'Haserretu zaitezte!', matxinadarako dei bat salmenta markak"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009044525/http://paperekoa.berria.info/plaza/2011-03-03/035/001/haserretu_zaitezte_matxinadarako_dei_bat_salmenta_markak_hausten.htm |date=2011-10-09 }} hausten.Berria.info (March 3, 2011). Retrieved June 20, 2011 {{in lang|eu}} Finnish,[http://www.ksml.fi/uutiset/viihde/elokuvat/stephane-hessel-vastarintaan/982893 Keskisuomalainen.fi - Stephane Hessel - Vastarintaan!] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131218084351/http://www.ksml.fi/uutiset/viihde/elokuvat/stephane-hessel-vastarintaan/982893 |date=2013-12-18 }} Retrieved 25th of July Catalan, Dutch, Portuguese, Turkish, Romanian,[http://www.nemira.ro/in-afara-colectiilor/indignati-va---1803 "Stephane Hessel - Indignati-va!"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716134240/http://www.nemira.ro/in-afara-colectiilor/indignati-va---1803 |date=2011-07-16 }} Nemira. Retrieved June 6, 2011 {{in lang|ro}} Slovenian,{{cite web |url=http://www.sanje.si/knjigarna/dvignite-se.html |title=Dvignite se |publisher=Založba Sanje |accessdate=2012-03-24 |language=Slovenian |archive-date=2011-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810093103/http://www.sanje.si/knjigarna/dvignite-se.html |url-status=dead }} Serbian, Greek, Hebrew,[http://iatrogenico.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/indignez-vous-stephen-hessel/ תזעמו!] Retrieved October 1, 2011 {{in lang|he}} and Korean.[http://blog.yes24.com/document/6176182 『분노하라』- 지금은 분노해야 할 때…] {{in lang|ko}} More translations are planned in Japanese, Swedish, Chinese[http://www.indigene-editions.fr/actualites/indignez-vous-va-paraitre-en-chine.html "Indignez-vous! va paraitre en Chine"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111118000023/http://www.indigene-editions.fr/actualites/indignez-vous-va-paraitre-en-chine.html |date=2011-11-18 }} Indigène éditions. Retrieved June 6, 2011 {{in lang|fr}} and other languages.

In 2011, one of the names given to the 2011 Spanish protests against corruption and the two-party system was Los Indignados (The Outraged), taken from the title of the book's translation there (¡Indignaos!). The Spanish protests later inspired other protests all around the world, including Greece, Israel and Occupy Wall Street in the United States.

• 2011 Spanish protests
• Reacts
• Democracia real Ya
• 2008 financial crisis

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/10/10/stphane_hessel_on_occupy_wall_street_find_the_time_for_outrage_when_your_values_are_not_respected Author of Time for Outrage! Stéphane Hessel interviewed] by Juan González on Democracy Now! October 10, 2011
• [http://www.charlesglass.net/ Time for Outrage!] Charles Glass Books, official website (2011). Retrieved March 17, 2011
• [http://www.indigene-editions.fr/ Indigène éditions] Official website, French edition. Retrieved March 17, 2011 {{in lang|fr}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150614213356/http://conspiraciones.blog.com.es/2011/02/16/texto-integro-de-indignaos-de-hesse-10607025/ ¡Indignaos!] Spanish translation of Indignez-vous! Retrieved June 12, 2015 {{in lang|es}}
• [http://www.vivelavenir.org/ Get Involved !] Official website for Stephane Hessel's new book "Get involved !" (Engagez-vous !) {{in lang|fr}}
• [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19436149.2016.1177919/ Passive, Silent and Revolutionary: The ‘Arab Spring’ Revisited] This article makes some connections between the Indignados of Spain and Greece and the Occupy movements in the US and UK to the simultaneous "Arab Spring" revolts.

{{Authority control}}

Category:Pamphlets

Category:2010 essays