fellows - imperialism k

8/15/2019 Fellows - Imperialism K

1/143

Imperialism K Neg


2/143

1NCRetrenchment increases military efciency and is a tool tostrengthen hegemonic powerMacDonald and Parent 11(Paul K., Assistant Professor of Political Scienceat Williams College, and Joseph M., Assistant Professor of Political Science, Spring20, !ol. "#, $o. %, Pages &'%%, accessed &2)#*

+Modied to a-oid alest language

We advance the neorealist argument that states competing !orsecurity in anarchy respond with rough rationality to theirenvironment. "hey do this #ecause in the competitive arena o!world politics inert or improvident great powers receive negative!eed#ac$ until they are disa#used o! their delusions or replaced atthe top rungs #y more sensi#le states% &reat powers that do notreact with agility and alacrity to a lower position are unli$ely to last

in the un!orgiving game o! power politics% /i-als ill e 1uic to detect and e3ploitincompetence. 4he underl5ing logic of this eha-ior is sol-enc5. States, lie rms, tend to go anrupthen the5 udget lithel5 and li-e e5ond their means. When ends are too amitious for a-ailale means6a situation sometimes called the 78ippmann gap9")6states are o-ere3tended and open to predation. 4o

a-oid insol-enc5, states adopt retrenching policies as a way to gain#reathing room regroup, and retard if not reverse their decline. In thelong term decline is inevita#le #ut in the short term it is an5thing ut.%0 'tates can improve their relative growth #y imitating the practiceso! lead states% (nd li$e )rms states are capa#le o! recovery i! theyma$e astute ad*ustments% Reorgani+ation re,uires somecom#ination o! resources and time which states can generate #yparing #ac$ military e-penditures avoiding costly con.icts andshi!ting #urdens onto others. 4he alternati-es6 resignation to continual decline, disregardof riss, unalanced ends and means6are orse. Negative !eed#ac$ drives thisprocess, if states rationall5 ad:ust their commitments in response to decline. What matters most ine3plaining the e3tent of retrenchment is not geograph5, leadership, or regime t5pe; the most importantfactor is the rate of decline relati-e to other great poers. Conse1uentl5, our central h5pothesis is thatdeclining poer generates prompt and proportionate declines in grand strategic interests. We do not claim

that all states retrench rationall5 all the time. What e claim is that great powers prudentlyscale #ac$ their grand strategic interests when they e-perienceacute relative decline #ecause they !eel their power e##ing. 4he asiclogic of neorealism is clear, ut it is not clear ho 1uicl5 that logic applies.% Kenneth Walte speculates that s5stemic pressures might manifest themsel-es in foreign policies o-er ten'to fteen'5ear time spans, ma5e longer.%2 Colin ?lman argues that a neorealist theor5 of foreign polic5 islogicall5 possile, ut he preaches agnosticism on hether such theories are useful. 8ie Walt


3/143

#alancing is increasing one0s capa#ilities through economic growthdecreased military e-penditures or #oth. As a rule, this is the est form ofalancing ecause, other things e1ual, in a self'help orld it decreases reliance on others%-ternal #alancing involves the !ormation o! alliances to collectivelychec$ rising powers% "his is a second#est !orm o! #alancing given

the unrelia#ility o! alliance partners and the inevita#le pro#lem o!!ree riding. States unale to alance are forced to side ith the strong, or andagon. "his!ramewor$ !or understanding alignment can #e applied toretrenchment% 'tates su2ering !rom relative decline should pre!er toreverse their !all through internal retrenchment% 'tates may try toease the #urden o! their de!ense policies #y cutting #ac$ de!ense

spending or decreasing the si+e o! their militaries . "hey may also

try to increase the efciency or e2ectiveness o! their military

!orces. As part of such a polic5, states ma5 attempt to imitate the inno-ations of superior states.%# 4hese inno-ations ma5 tae the form of militar5, economic, or social reorgani


4/143

that states are most liel5 to retrench hen the5 ha-e lost their position in the ran order and that lossdoes not appear to e temporar5. We measure relati-e poer 5 e3amining a countr5=s share of grossdomestic product (I@P* among the great poers since &06the period for hich e ha-e relialedata.% Bf a countr5=s ordinal share of I@P drops a ran and remains there for at least -e 5ears, eclassif5 this as a period of acute relati-e decline. 4o e included in the stud5, states must ha-e at least a0 percent share of total great poer I@P. We also ran the se-erit5 of relati-e decline 5 calculating thetotal decline in great poer share of I@P for the -e 5ears folloing the shift in ordinal ranings. 4o tae afamiliar e3ampleG in )0 Ierman5 accounted for #.) percent of great poer I@P, surpassing IreatFritain for the rst time in Ierman histor5. L-er the ne3t -e 5ears, Ireat Fritain continued to lose groundrelati-e to Ierman5, ith its share of great poer I@P reduced 5 a total of .% percent. $o measuresare perfect, e-en hen the5 are the est among Daed alternati-es. Although parsimonious, cross'national I@P data must e -ieed ith septicism, especiall5 o-er long periods of time. I@P as in-entedas a concept relati-el5 recentl5, and pro:ecting it acards in time is a diEcult feat. Hor some countries inthe data set, e ha-e had to estimate total I@P using less reliale measures of output from speciceconomic sectors.%& Hurthermore, I@P is not the optimal measure for this stud5. I@P, lie income, is aDo measure and gauges the maret -alue of all nished goods and ser-ices produced ithin a countr5 ina gi-en 5ear. Bf mone5 ere poer6 and it is onl5 imperfectl5 so6the est measure ould e nationalealth, a stoc measure.% nfortunatel5, no one eeps such a measure for the period underconsideration. ltimatel5, the ran ordering depends on ho maes the most, 5ear in and 5ear out. Bn an5gi-en 5ear, a lacluster income can e compensated for 5 a large nest egg from prior 5ears. Con-ersel5,poor in-estment, proDigate consumption, or high det can mute the ad-antages of an en-iale income. Bnthis sense, I@P, lie income, is a leading indicator, ut one hose eect can e dampened or amplied 5the national alance sheet. 8astl5, economic decline ma5 not e the est measure of relati-e decline

o-erall. States could care more aout militar5, political, or cultural decline6or aout some d5namic asetof these. @ecisionmaers ma5 not ha-e a clear raning of great poers, ma5 not e-en no an ordinaltransition is taing place, and ha-e onl5 an inling that their decline is signicant and sustained. Lne musteep in mind that man5 polic5maers had fault5 or imprecise I@P data for large stretches of the period econsider, hile others had no I@P data at all.%) As a reuttal to these concerns, e argue that using I@Pdata is an elegant and con-entional approach to anal5


5/143

war in only !our o! the eighteen cases and in only one o! thesecases31456 7nited Kingdom3did the declining power go to war with

the power that had *ust surpassed it in ordinal ran$%0 In addition

in si- o! )!teen cases declining great powers that adopted a policy

o! retrenchment managed to re#ound eventually recovering their

ordinal ran$ !rom the state that surpassed them . 4hese ndings suggest thatretrenching states rarel5 courted disaster and occasionall5 regained their prior position. Hurther, e-en ifretrenchment as not successful, this does not pro-e that a preferale polic5 e3isted. Bn man5 cases ofdecline, there are fe restorati-e solutions a-ailale; politics is often a game of unpalatale alternati-es.Short of a miracle, it is hard to sa5 hat great poers such as Fritain, Hrance, or the So-iet nion couldha-e done to sta5 aloft, e-en ith the enet of hindsight. 4here is more room for deate on ho ell aneorealist approach helps e3plain the e3tent of retrenchment. Se-en cases do not appear to t oure3planationG " Hrance; )"# and )# nited Kingdom; )2% Hrance; )0" /ussia; )" Ierman5; and))2 Japan. Si3 additional cases are argual5 orderline casesG &" and )" Hrance; )0, &2, and)"0 nited Kingdom; and )& West Ierman5 (this last case, if it ors, ma5 do so for the rongreasons*. @epending on ho one codes the half do


6/143

de)nition o! =domestic terrorism0 heralds the now legal return of theCounter Bntelligence Program (C>IN"9PR>* that conducted illegal co-ertoperations in the )0s and )&0s against the Flac Panther part5, theAmerican Bndian mo-ement, the Puerto /ican Bndependence mo-ement, andleftsocialist organi


7/143

professor and Canada /esearch Chair at the Hacult5 of ?ducation, McIillni-ersit5 in Montreal, ueec, Canada. "he 'age and#oo$ o!ualitative Research, 4hird ?dition, ?ds $orman @en


8/143

marginali


9/143

!orms o! ideology and violence% It is uninterested in any theory6nomatter ho fashionale6that does not directly address the needs o!victims o! oppression and the su2ering they must endure% 4hefolloing is an elastic, e-er'e-ol-ing set of concepts included in our e-ol-ingnotion of criticalit5. With theoretical inno-ations and shifting [eitgeists, the5

e-ol-e. 4he points that are deemed most important in one time period pale inrelation to dierent points in a ne era.


10/143

9in$s


11/143

&eneric Military Reduction(20s reduction o! military presence is a per!ect )g lea! !orimperialism the *u-taposition #etween Bush preachingtolerance and the violence o! the War >n "error are a

per!ect e-ample reducing military presence in a waythat is not threatening !or the 7' merely legitimatesviolence towards those who challenge the militaryBrown ;< (Wend5, Professor of Political Science at the ni-ersit5 of California in Ferele5, 200,/egulating A-ersionG 4olerance in the age of Bdentit5 and ?mpire, pg ))'0*4/

Bn the immediate aftermath of the Septemer terrorist episodes,&eorge W% Bush surprised many (mericans with his !re,uentremar$s a#out the importance o! treating (ra# (mericans with

respect his eort to distinguish Bslamic elief and practices from the-iolence of the perpetrators, and his arnings against scapegoating

and stereot5ping as ell as ause and -igilantism. >is eorts in thisdirection ere sometimes fumling6he spoe of 7omen of co-er9hen e3pressing his disma5 aout intimidation of Bslamic Americansearing religiousl5 sanctioned clothing and he stuttered o-er theformulation of an American 7e9 that as not normati-el5 ChristianG7Lur nation must e mindful that there are thousands of AraAmericans . . . ho lo-e their Dag :ust as much as . . . \e] do. And emust e mindful that as e see to in the ar that e treat AraAmericans and Muslims ith the respect the5 deser-e.9"Holloing ameeting ith American Bslamic leaders in Washington, @.C., on

Septemer &, he declared, 7Bt is m5 honor to e meeting ith leadersho feel :ust the same a5 B do. 4he5=re outraged, the5=re sad. 4he5lo-e America :ust as much as B do.95JMulticulturalist tal$ does notcome easily or naturally to Bush/ he reinstalls a weL and a theyLat the very moment he is trying to dispel the distinctionE he tacitlyrepresents Muslims as outsiders to (mericaE and he can esta#lish

#elonging only #y asserting su#*ective identicality67the5 feele3actl5 the a5 B do.9 Still, the very earnestness and the repetition o! these e2orts to staunch #igotry and racial violence too$ many #y

surprise% Fut hile Fush continuousl5 urged citi


12/143

een Datl5 unacceptale if suered 5 ?uropeans or Americans."" "hestate detained thousands o! (ra#s and (ra# (mericans a!ter the'eptem#er 11 attac$s several hundred o! whom remain in custodywithout #eing charged despite su#se,uent revelations thatevidence lin$ing them to any illegal let alone terrorist activity is

none-istent%"% During these detentions near relatives o! thedetainees were not in!ormed o! the names or wherea#outs o! thedetainees nor were the detainees permitted legal counsel."#Bnterrogation at their residences of another #,000 5oung men onstudent, tourist, or usiness -isas ho ere reputed to 7ha-e come tothe .S. from countries ith suspected terrorist lins9 egan in@ecemer 200; Miranda rights ere not read to these men, and those1uestioned ho had e3pired -isas :oined the groing numers ofindi-iduals from the Middle ?ast targeted 5 the Bmmigration and$aturali


13/143

pro)ling at home and a#road did not simply stand in contrast withthe state0s proscription o! citi+en vigilantism and calls !or tolerance%

/ather, it was legitimated #y this proscription and these callsE as

long as the state implores its su#*ects to #e peace!ul law@a#iding

and without pre*udice it can use its prerogative power 3and even

mo#ili+e the citi+enry3 !or the opposite practices . 4he state can

arogate its commitments to upholding ci-il lierties and to egalitarianen:o5ment of these lierties 5 sustituting a discourse of tolerance fora practice of e1ual protection or e1ual treatment. Moreo-er, the stateissues calls for tolerance not ecause it is or can e tolerant, ut sothat e ill e and it does not ha-e to e6so that it can act lie astate. 4his is not to sa5 that the state is forthrightl5 intolerant, ut thatneither e1ualit5 nor tolerance nor protection of ci-il rights is ithin theamit of raison d=_tat.


14/143

orn o! (!rica(ll strategic military activities in the orn o! (!ricaperpetuate (merican imperial desires !or dominance in(!rica

(+i$we 15 (Aa5omi A? WL/8@ BMP?/BA8BS4 SS4?M` 8ater during the )0s hen the -arious nationallieration mo-ements and independent African states emared upon the armed struggle as a necessit5 toght the .S. and $A4L aced colonial and settler'colonial states in Africa, Pan'Africanist and socialiststrategist Kame $rumah identied .S. imperialism as the ma:or force in the mo-ement for genuineterritorial so-ereignt5 on the continent. 4he .S., although pa5ing lip ser-ice to supporting the anti'colonialmo-ements, sought to stiDe and manipulate the national lieration mo-ements for the enet of Wall

Street and the Pentagon.` $rumah rote that "he modi)cations introduced #yimperialism in its strategy were e-pressed through thedisappearance o! the numerous old@!ashioned =colonies0 owinge-clusive allegiance to a single metropolitan country through thereplacement o! =national0 imperialism #y a =collective0 imperialism inwhich the 7'( occupies a leading position%L (>andoo of /e-olutionar5 Warfare,p. #, ))*` $rumah continued noting that 74he S'?uropean post'ar alliance not onl5 enaled the SAto enet from the ad-antages of the ?uropean maret, hich had hitherto een largel5 closed to itspenetration; ut also opened up ne hori


15/143

superseded ?uropean supremac5 and estalished neo'colonialist domination. 4he militariM is largely a 7%'%@controlled militaryoperation which is )nanced #y Washington and provided withpolitical intelligence and diplomatic cover% 'omalia is the source o!

oil and other strategic interests !or imperialism and oth the 7%'. and$A4L have large@scale naval vessels o2 the coast o! the orn o! (!ricanation in the &ul! o! (den.` 4he inter-ention into Somalia of the Ken5an @efense Horces in20 had een planned 5 the Pentagon for at least to 5ears. @espite eorts 5 Washington and itsallies, the situation in Somalia is 5 no means stale. A Hrench Special Horces commando unit=s attempt tofree intelligence oEcials from Paris eing held in Somalia pro-ed to e a disaster as Al'Shaaa iped outthe entire cre and e-entuall5 e3ecuted the leading commander of the failed raid.` Bn Mali and $iger, the.S. is acing up Hrench militar5 inter-ention. 4he Pentagon had trained the Malian arm5 prior to theMarch 202 coup and is largel5 responsiilit5 for the incapacit5 of the national militar5 to address the 4uareg reellion in the north. `

(!rica is the new #attle ground !or strategic militaryengagement the goal is to ac,uire resources !rom the

region and strategically manipulate military levels tocompete with china in the regionoster ;<

(John Fellam5 Hoster, editor of Monthl5 /e-ie and professor of sociolog5 atthe ni-ersit5 of Lregon, Monthly Review, June 200. 7A Warning to AfricaG

4he $e .S. Bmperial IrandN Strateg59httpG.marconhomme.comles&':uin'200.pdf accessed &"#*

http://www.marcbonhomme.com/files/17-juin-2006.pdfhttp://www.marcbonhomme.com/files/17-juin-2006.pdf


16/143

Bmperialism is constant for capitalism. Fut it passes through -arious phasesas theN s5stem e-ol-es. (t present the world is e-periencing a new ageo! imperialism mar$ed #y a 7%'% grand strategy o! glo#aldomination. >ne indication o! how things have changed is that the7%'% military is now truly glo#al in its operations with permanent

#ases on every continent including (!rica where a new scram#le !orcontrol is ta$ing place !ocused on oil% ?lite opinion in the nited Statesin the decade immediatel5 folloing the collapse of the N So-iet nion oftendecried the asence of a .S. grand strateg5 comparale to hat N IeorgeKennan laeled 7containment,9 under the mantle of hich the nited States Ninter-ened throughout the Cold War 5ears. 4he e5 1uestion, as posed in$o-emerN 2000 5 national'securit5 anal5st /ichard >aass, as that ofdetermining ho theN nited States should utiliaass=sN anser, hich doutless contriuted tohis eing hired immediatel5 after as director of N polic5 planning for ColinPoell=s State @epartment in the ne Fush administration, as N to promotean 7Bmperial America9 strateg5 aimed at securing .S. gloal dominance forNdecades to come. Lnl5 months efore, a similar, if e-en more naedl5militaristic, grandN strateg5 had een presented 5 the Pro:ect for the $eAmerican Centur5, in a reportN authored 5 future top Fush'administrationgures @onald /umsfeld, Paul Wolfoit


17/143


18/143

poers falling in ehindN the nited States, as a superior approach to runningan empire.N &N Such cooperati-e imperialism, hoe-er, ecomes more diEcultto achie-e once theN hegemon=s poer egins to ane. $ot onl5 is the nitedStates suering increasedN economic competition, ut ith the demise of theSo-iet nion the $A4L alliance hasN eaenedG Washington=s ?uropean

-assals do not ala5s follo its lead, e-en thoughN

the5 are unale tochallenge it directl5. 4he temptation facing a aning hegemonic N poer6stillarmed and dangerous6caught in such circumstances is to attempt toN reuildand e-en e3pand its poer 5 acting unilaterall5 and monopoliighest Stage of CapitalismGN "here can #e no otherconceiva#le #asis under capitalism !or the division o! spheres o!in.uence o! interests o! colonies etc% than a calculation o! thestrength o! the participants in the division their general economic)nancial military strength etc% And the strength of these participants intheN di-ision does not change to an e1ual degree, for under capitalism the Nde-elopment of dierent undertaings, trusts, ranches of industr5, or Ncountries cannot e e-en. >alf a centur5 ago, Ierman5 as a miserale, Ninsignicant countr5, as far as its capitalist strength as concerned, Ncompared ith the strength of ?ngland at that time. Japan as similarl5 Ninsignicant compared ith /ussia. Bs it 7concei-ale9 that in ten or tent5 N5ears= time the relati-e strength of the imperialist poers ill ha-e N remainedunchangedT Asolutel5 inconcei-ale.N N Bt is no idel5 acnoledged thatthe orld is undergoing a gloal economicN transformation. $ot onl5 is thegroth rate of the orld econom5 as a hole sloing, ut N the relati-eeconomic strength of the nited States is continuing to eaen. Bn )#0 the Nnited States accounted for aout half of orld I@P, falling to a little o-er afth 5N 200". 8ieise it accounted for almost half of the orld=s stoc ofgloal foreign directN in-estment in )0, compared to a little o-er 20 percentat the eginning of this centur5.N According to pro:ections of Ioldman Sachs,China could o-ertae the nited States asN the orld=s largest econom5 520").N )N 4his groing threat to .S. poer is fueling Washington=s osessionith la5ing theN groundor for a 7$e American Centur5.9 Its currentinterventionism is aimed at ta$ing advantage o! its present short@term economic and military primacy to secure strategic assets thatwill provide long@term guarantees o! glo#al supremacy. "he goal isto e-tend 7%'% power directly while depriving potential competitorso! those vital strategic assets that might allow them eventually tochallenge it glo#ally or even within particular regions.N 4he $ationalSecurit5 Strateg5 of the nited States of 2002 ga-e notice that 7Lur forcesNill e strong enough to dissuade potential ad-ersaries from pursuing amilitar5 uild'upN in hopes of surpassing, or e1ualing, the poer of the nitedStates.9 Fut grand strateg5N e3tends e5ond mere militar5 poer. ?conomicad-antages -is'b'-is potential ri-als areN the real coin of intercapitalist


19/143

competition. >ence, .S. grand strateg5 integrates militar5N poer ith thestruggle to control capital, trade, the -alue of the dollar, and strategic ra Nmaterials.N Perhaps the clearest ordering of .S. strategic o:ecti-es has eenpro-ided 5 /oertN J. Art, professor of international relations at Frandeis anda research associate of theN Llin Bnstitute, in A Irand Strateg5 for America. 7A

grand strateg5,9 he rites, 7tells aN

nation=s leaders hat goals the5 shouldaim for and ho est the5 can use their N countr5=s militar5 poer to attainthese goals.9 Bn conceptuali


20/143

fastestN groing econom5, lacs energ5 securit5 e-en as its demand for fossilfuels is rapidl5N mounting. Bt is attempting to sol-e this partl5 through greateraccess to the energ5N resources of Bran and the Central Asian states. /ecent.S. attempts to estalish aN stronger alliance ith Bndia, ith Washingtonolstering Bndia=s status as a nuclearN poer, are clearl5 part of this $e

Ireat Iame for control of South'Central Asia6N

reminiscent of the nineteenth'centur5 Ireat Iame eteen Fritain and /ussia forN control of this part ofAsia.N N 4he $e Scramle for AfricaN I! there is a New &reat &ame a!ootin (sia there is also a New 'cram#le !or (!ricaL on the part o! thegreat powers%2 4he $ational Securit5 Strateg5 of the nited States of N2002 declared that com#ating glo#al terrorL and ensuring 7%'%energy security re,uired that the 7nited 'tates increase itscommitments to (!rica and called upon coalitions o! the willingL togenerate regional security arrangements on that continent% 'oona!ter the 7%'% uropean Command #ased in 'tuttgart &ermany3incharge o! 7%'% military operations in 'u#@'aharan (!rica3increasedits activities in West (!rica centering onN those states ith sustantial oilproduction andor reser-es in or around the Iulf of N Iuinea (stretchingroughl5 from the B-or5 Coast to Angola*. 4he .S. militar5=s ?uropeanNCommand no de-otes &0 percent of its time to African aairs, up fromalmost nothingN as recentl5 as 200".N "N As pointed out 5 /ichard >aass,no president of the Council on Horeign /elations, inN his foreord to the 200#council report entitled More 4han >umanitarianismG A StrategicN .S.Approach 4oard AfricaG 7F5 the end of the decade su'Saharan Africa isliel5 toN ecome as important as a source of .S. energ5 imports as theMiddle ?ast.9N % WestN Africa has some 0 illion arrels of pro-en oilreser-es. Bts oil is the lo sulfur, seet N crude pri


21/143

mile >igleig'Port Sudan oilN pipeline in the east to the %0'mile Chad'Cameroon pipeline and the Iulf of Iuinea in N the West. ( new 7%'% !orward@operating location in 7ganda gives the 7nited 'tates the potentialo! dominating southern 'udan where most o! that country0s oil is to#e !ound% In West (!rica the 7%'% military0s uropean Command has

now esta#lished !orwardoperating locations in 'enegal Mali&hana and &a#on3as well as Nami#ia #ordering (ngola on thesouth3involving the upgrading o! air)elds the pre@positioning o!critical supplies and !uel and access agreements !or swi!tdeployment o! 7%'% troops.# Bn 200"N it launched a counterterrorismprogram in West Africa, and in March 200% .S. Special N Horces ere directl5in-ol-ed in a militar5 operation ith Sahel countries against theN SalastIroup for Preaching and Comat6on Washington=s list of terroristNorgani


22/143

lasted until the ceasere folloing Sa-imi=s death in 2002. $igeria, theregionalN hegemon, is rife ith corruption, re-olts, and organi


23/143

China see$s not only to gain access to resources #ut also to controlresource production and distri#ution perhaps positioning itsel! !orpriority access as these resources #ecome scarcer%L 4he councilreport on Africa is so concerned ith comating China through theN e3pansionof .S. militar5 operations in the region, that none other than Chester N

Crocer, former assistant secretar5 of state for African aairs in the /eaganN

administration, charges it ith sounding 7istfull5 nostalgic for an era henthe nitedN States or the West as the onl5 ma:or inDuence and could pursueits...o:ecti-es ith aN free hand.9N )N What is certain is that the .S empire iseing enlarged to encompass parts of Africa inN the rapacious search for oil.

4he results could e de-astating for Africa=s peoples. 8ieN the old scramlefor Africa this ne one is a struggle among great poers for resourcesN andplunder6not for the de-elopment of Africa or the elfare of its population. N AIrand Strateg5 of ?nlargementN Despite the rapidly evolving strategicconte-t and the shi!t to a more na$ed imperialism in recent yearsthere is a consistency in 7%'% imperial grand strategy which derives!rom the #road agreement at the very top o! the 7%'% powerstructure that the 7nited 'tates should see$ glo#al supremacy,9 asPresident Jimm5 Carter=s former $ationalN Securit5 Ad-isor, [ignieFr


24/143

demise of the So-iet nion. 4he nited States no accounts for aout half ofall of N the orld=s militar5 spending6a proportion to or more times its shareof orld output.N "he goal o! the new 7%'% imperial grand strategy is touse this unprecedented military strength to preempt emerginghistorical !orces #y creating a sphere o! !ull@spectrum dominance so

vast now encompassing every continent that no potential rivals will#e a#le to challenge the 7nited 'tates decades down the line. 4his isa ar against theN peoples of the peripher5 of the capitalist orld and for thee3pansion of orld capitalism,N particularl5 .S. capitalism. Fut it is also a arto secure a 7$e American Centur59 inN hich third orld nations are -ieedas 7strategic assets9 ithin a larger gloalN geopolitical struggleN 4he lessonsof histor5 are clearG attempts to gain orld dominance 5 militar5 means, Nthough ine-itale under capitalism, are destined to fail and can onl5 lead tone andN greater ars. Bt is the responsi#ility o! those committed toworld peace to resist the new 7%'% imperial grand strategy #ycalling into ,uestion imperialism and its economic taproot/capitalism itsel!%


25/143

(RIC>MMilitary 'trategy change in (!rica ris$ the sameimperialist outcomes that lead to (merica0s occupation o!(!rica a ,uest !or natural resources and a paternalist

approach to control the mar$ets%ermann 15(2", Furel5, Acti-ist for $ation of Change. BnformationClearing >ouse. httpG.informationclearinghouse.infoarticle""#)&.htm accessed &"#*

Januar5 2 20" YBnformation Clearing >ouseY ' Bn the morning afterChristmas, B listened to a -ideo from @emocrac5 $o detailing the da5=sheadlines. What B heard announced 5 Am5 Ioodman angered me greatl5G7.S. Arm5 teams ill e deplo5ing to as man5 as "# African countries earl5ne3t 5ear for training programs and other operations as part of an increasedPentagon role in Africa. 4he mo-e ould see small teams of .S. troops

dispatched to countries ith groups allegedl5 lined to al'aeda4he teamsare from a .S. rigade that has the capailit5 to use drones for militar5operations in Africa if granted permission. 4he deplo5ment could alsopotentiall5 la5 the groundor for future .S. militar5 inter-ention in Africa.9President Lama echoed this sentiment hen he nominated John Kerr5; hecongratulated his pre-ious Secretar5 of State >illar5 Clinton on restoring 7ourgloal leadership9 and declared triumphantl5G 7the nited States ill continueto lead in this orld for our lifetimes.9 4hese statements and the headlinefrom @emocrac5 $o didn=t surprise me one it. Alread5 I had heard thatan imperialist intervention will #egin in the West (!rican state o!Mali ne-t year )ghting over uranium deposits gold deposits and

untapped oil deposits which is e-actly what I predicted #ac$ onNovem#er 5rd% B had alread5 ritten a 5ear earlier, critici


26/143

that We also conduct some type o! military training or military@to@military engagement or activity with nearly every country on the(!rican continent% "his is part o! our e2ort to ena#le (!rican nationsto increase their de!ense capa#ilities%L 4his statement is -er5 telling ofS intentions to come. $ic 4urse con-e5s this clearl5, a process hich seems

to ha-e sped up since Lama has een in oEce. 4urse rites that since 200",the modern American scramle for Africa,= has egun, as 7in 1uiet andlargel5 unnoticed a5s, the Pentagon and the CBA ha-e een spreading theirforces across the continent. 4oda5the 7%'% maintains a surprisingnum#er o! #ases in (!ricaV7nder President >#ama in !actoperations in (!rica have accelerated !ar #eyond the more limitedinterventions o! the Bush years4o support these mushrooming missions,near'constant training operations, and alliance'uilding :oint e3ercises,outposts of all sorts are sprouting continent'ide, connected 5 a spralingshado logistics netor"he 7%'% is now involved directly and #ypro-y in military and surveillance operations against an e-pandinglist o! regional enemies Qin the continent].S. special operationsforces are stationed at a string of e-en more shado5 forard operatingposts on the continent.S. troops are also oring at ases insideganda4he5 no suppl5 the ma:orit5 of the troops to the African nionMission protecting the .S.'supported go-ernment in the Somali capital,Mogadishuthe .S. is conducting counterterrorism training and e1uippingmilitaries in Algeria, Furina Haso, Chad, Mauritania, $iger, and 4unisia\recentl5] (RIC>M Commander &eneral Carter am e-plained thereasoning #ehind 7%'% operations on the continent/ "he a#soluteimperative !or the 7nited 'tates military Qis to protect (merica(mericans and (merican interestsE in our case in my case Qtoprotect us !rom threats that may emerge !rom the (!ricancontinentWith the Lama administration clearl5 engaged in a tent5'rst

centur5 scramle for Africa, the possi#ility o! successive waves o!

overlapping #low#ac$ grows e-ponentially% 9 4hese ords are

conrmed 5 the e-idence from the Congressional /esearch /eport,Bnstances of se of nited States Armed Horces Aroad, &)'202, hichshos, among other aspects, the amount of militar5 inter-entions in Africasince 200GN . 200G74he President reported that -arious .S. 7comat'e1uipped and comat'support forces9 ere deplo5ed to 7a numer oflocations\including] Africa Command areas of operation9 and ere engagedin comat operations against al'aida and their supporters9 N 2. 200)G74he

nited States has deplo5ed 7-arious comat'e1uipped forces to a numer oflocations \including]African Command areas of operation9 in support ofanti'terrorist and anti'al'a=ida actionsthe nited States continues todeplo5 7.S. comat'e1uipped forces to assist in enhancing thecounterterrorism capailities of our friends and allies9in the >orn of Africaregion9N ". 200G7...4he nited States has deplo5ed 7comat'e1uippedforces to a numer of locations \including]African Command areas ofoperation9 in support of anti'terrorist and anti'al'a=ida actions9 N %. 20G


27/143

74he nited States has deplo5ed -arious 7comat'e1uipped forces9 to anumer of locations inthe African Command areas of operation9 in supportof anti'terrorist and anti'al'a=ida actions A comat'e1uipped securit5 forceof aout 7%0 .S. militar5 personnel from the .S. Central Command9 eredeplo5ed to Cairo, ?g5pt, on Januar5 ", 20, for the sole purpose of

7protecting American citi


28/143

negative repercussion !or (merican imperial policy% ven more

prevalent is how those in the inner wor$ings o! the imperial system

seem to !orget history % As Ieorge Santa5ana put it, those who

cannot remem#er the past are condemned to repeat it %L By the

start o! the twentieth century 4; percent o! (!rica was coloni+ed #yuropean powers% Chris >arman rites in A People=s >istor5 of the Worldthat 7the rst ?uropean attempts to car-e out colonies in Africa in-ol-edthem in lood5 attlesthe5 often lostut 5 the 0s the acceleratedindustriali


29/143

(RIC>M props up systems o! imperialism !or the 7nited'tatesPhe$o 11 (@r. Motsoo Pheo, former memer of Parliament in South Africa 7S AfricaCommand a tool to recolonise continent9 accessed &"# fromhttpG.pama


30/143

Northeast (sia"he attempt to have control o! logistic spaces inNortheast (sia is part o! an 7' imperialistic andmilitaristic tradition

Davis 16 (Sasha @a-is, Assistant Professor of Ieograph5 and ?n-ironmental Science at theni-ersit5 of >aaii'>ilo, 2# 7China=s $e BslandsG @ueling Bmperialisms and Militar5 ?scalation in ?astAsia9 accessed &"# from httpG.toardfreedom.com2'archi-esasia")2'china's'ne'islands'dueling'imperialisms'and'militar5'escalation'in'east'asia 8C*

4he second logic of #order areas, that the5 are spaces o! intense .ows o!resources and trade, is also apparent in the seas around ast (sia. Astaggering amount of trade mo-es through the ?ast and South China Seas. "hese seas arethere!ore not *ust !orti)ed !rontiers they are also Flogistic spacesFhere states are tr5ing to facilitate certain mo-ements rather than locing them. Lf course the to logicsof this orderland are often oring at cross'purposes. 4erritorial oundaries function to eep spacesounded and to restrict mo-ements and Dos, hereas the constellation of ports, ships, and open sea'lanes function to mae the spaces more permeale. 4he imperati-es of states to eep out hat the5 aim toeep out, hile facilitating the 1uic mo-ement through of hat go-ernments and transnational entities

ant to mo-e through, ma5 clash in some a5s ut the5 are s5miotic in another a5G they oth promote militari+ation% While it is fairl5 o-ious that contests over territoryrely on marshalling military power, the logic of netors and facilitating Dos relies onit as ell. Militari+ation is desired !or these Flogistic spacesF for to mainreasons. Hirst, militari+ation serves to determine which state is a#le tocontrol these .ows% Second, militari+ation serves to sa!eguard thesystem o! trade !rom disruption #y other states natural disasters orthreatening non@state actors li$e smugglers and pirates. 4his is hereAmerican interests come into the stor5. "he history o! (merican militari+ation inthe Paci)c is mar$ed much more #y the logic o! controlling andmaintaining .ows than territorial ac,uisition% ven when territorial

am#itions were present @ as with the 7' ta$ing o! >aaiZi, the Philippines, andIuam in the late 00s, or >$inawa a!ter World War "wo @these am#itionswere usually not ends in themselves #ut rather a means to create#ases that would allow the 7' to wrest control over trade with (sia!rom competing powers% "here is little di2erence today. S go-ernmentoEcials ' and the transnational usiness interests that hea-il5 inDuence them ' are not nearl5 asconcerned ith hich countr5 gets control o-er disputed piles of rocs in the South or ?ast China Sea asthe5 are ith maing sure that trade is not disrupted around these rocs. 4he5 are also concerned thatChina, through its aggressi-e mo-es in the seas around the region (and its increased militar5technologies*, ma5 de-elop the capailit5 to den5 the S control o-er these spaces of trade.

http://www.towardfreedom.com/28-archives/asia/3926-china-s-new-islands-dueling-imperialisms-and-military-escalation-in-east-asiahttp://www.towardfreedom.com/28-archives/asia/3926-china-s-new-islands-dueling-imperialisms-and-military-escalation-in-east-asiahttp://www.towardfreedom.com/28-archives/asia/3926-china-s-new-islands-dueling-imperialisms-and-military-escalation-in-east-asiahttp://www.towardfreedom.com/28-archives/asia/3926-china-s-new-islands-dueling-imperialisms-and-military-escalation-in-east-asiahttp://www.towardfreedom.com/28-archives/asia/3926-china-s-new-islands-dueling-imperialisms-and-military-escalation-in-east-asia


31/143

>$inawa"he afrmatives attempt to li#erate >$inawa women isthe same radical !eminist approach that designatesindigenous as una#le to ta$e care o! them selves and

posits the white !eminists as the savior% (lthough the a2is IN>RMD #y imperialism it necessarily representsimperialism through erasures o! how race implicatesprostitution and perceptions o! whiteness in apan due tomilitari+ation'higematsu 16

Setsu. Associate Professor in the Media and Cultural Studies @epartment ofni-ersit5 of California, /i-erside Intersections: Gender and Sexuality in Asiaand the Pacifc. Bssue "&. March, 7Bntimacies of Bmperialism and Japanese'Flac Heminist 4ransgressionGN Militarised Lccupations in Linaa andFe5ond9 accessed &"#httpGintersections.anu.edu.auissue"&shigematsu.pdf*

/ethining Afro'Asian encounters through Linaan'Flac'Japanese transgressionN &. 4he rst lmse1uence egins ith >ara stating that 4aeda left 4o5o in )&2 and ent to Linaa N ith another5oung oman from the mo-ement named Sugao.\2%] After arri-ing in Linaa, theseN 5oung feminists,ho ere in their earl5 tenties, egan oring at a clu for Flac AmericanN soldiers. 4heir decision asliel5 informed 5 their limited understanding of the Flac struggle againstN White oppression in America. 4aeda and Sugao ere representati-e of a small numer of umanN riu acti-ists ho chose to or in the

se3'entertainment industr5 (mier pre-ious or reaching out to criminalised omen in 4o5o also aligned ith this

anticlassistanti'elitistN politics.N . What remained underdeveloped in thewomens li#eration movement3and e-ident through 4aedaZsN actions6was a#etter understanding and criti,ue o! racism and colonialism glo#allyandN domestically.\2] Despite #eing a#le to criti,ue how themilitarised se-ual violence againstN >$inawans womens #odies wasa result o! apanese imperialism at the outset o! the movementN apanese !eminists had not yet conceived an e2ective anti@imperialist or decolonial !eminist practice%N Bndeed, this anal5sis further re-eals theclea-ages eteen an anti'imperialist feminist criti1ue of N gendered -iolence and an eecti-e decolonialfeminist practice. B mae an anal5tical distinctionN eteen anti'imperialist and decolonial feminist

practice. "he latter re,uires an intersectionalN understanding o! classgender ethnicity race and nation which was lac$ing in themovement duringN the early years o! its !ormation%QJX (nd as my


32/143

analysis will later demonstrate anti@imperialistN !eminism can

involve colonising tactics% N ). ?P? depicts a contradictor5 set of representations of Flacsoldiers, Flac Poer, and Flac agenc5N amid the intimacies of Japanese'S neo'imperialism. 4he thirdse1uence in ?P? depicts the raciall5N segregated A'sign ar for Flac American IBs here 4aeda andSugao or.\2] 4hese scenesN document the transplantation and translocal mediation of Americanstructures of racism and racialN segregation, here5 African Americans are drafted to ght and die for the

nited States, ut are notN e1ual enough to e entertained in the same clus as White soldiers. 4hroughoutthe lm, Flac IBsNN are ala5s depicted in ci-ilian clothing, hich de'emphasises their militarisedpresence and poer.N 4he5 are seen dancing and lounging in the ar and hanging out ith other Flac

soldiers% "hroughN this set o! images overt codes o! militarisation areelided #ut !unction as the necessary suturing logicN o! such (sian@Blac$ encounters% Blac$ (merica encounters (sia at the e-tremitieso! the 7'N militarised empire mediated through the transplantationo! structures o! racial hierarchy.N 20. What is striing in ?P? are the multi-alent a5s that>ara depicts Flac IBs. Bn the image elo,N Flac IBs pose ith raised sts, lining them ith otherimages of Flac Poer and resistance. 4heseN images and glimpses of Flac Poer consciousness in Asiaattest to the transpacic mo-ement of N lieration consciousness and practice.\2)]N Higure 2. Flac IBs inLinaa demonstrating their consciousness of FlacN PoerN Source. >ara Ka


33/143

poer (as polic5'maers*. Flac American soldiers are situated as N occupiers ithin a larger racialhierarch5 and ha-e agenc5 to oppress and resist against structures of N domination.N 2%. ?P? pro:ects theimage of the Flac male as reel 5 including scenes of the Flac Poer salute.N 4his recognition of theFlac Poer mo-ement as part of the late )0s and earl5 )&0s Japanese N $e 8eft and studentmo-ement culture. Flac lieration mo-ements in the S also informed theN Japanese $e 8eft. Bn )),for e3ample, to Flac Panther memers (/oerta Ale3ander and ?lertN Fig Man= >oard* ere in-ited5 student mo-ement acti-ists on a speaing tour in Japan.\"2] Bn theN ae of their -isit, their ors eretranslated 5 ell'non leftists such as Muto Bchi5o and others,N ho formed the Committee to Support

the Flac Panthers. 4hese are a fe e3amples of transpacicN cross'racial solidarit5 or.\""]N 2#. Blac$ li#eration thought also served as an inspiration !or activists in thewomens li#eration movement%N "he leading philosopher@activist o!the apanese uman ri#u movement "ana$a Mitsu writes a#outN how7'@#ased Blac$ li#eration thought helped crystallise her own radical!eminist philosophy. BnN )&2, 4anaa roteGN F5 calling White cops pigs,= the Flacs strugglingin America egan to constitute their on identit5 5 conrmingN their distance from White centered societ5in their dail5 li-es. 4his eing the eginning of the process to constitute N their su:ecti-it5, ho then

should omen e calling the pigsT\"%]N 2. (nti@racist militancy modelled andin!ormed anti@se-ist militancy !or radical !eminists in the 7' andN apan%\"#] Bn her other ritings, 4anaa also cites Angela @a-is, indicati-e of a transpacic

crossfertilisationN

of lieration mo-ements.\"] Flac lieration struggle thus ser-ed as a transnationalmodelN of lieration. owever li$e other non@Blac$ !eminists and other

le!tist intellectuals "ana$a learnedN lessons and cues !rom Blac$

li#eration #ut she did not engage in anti@racist solidarity wor$ andN

lac$ed an intersectional analysis o! race class and gender%Q5X 7manri#u discourse descri#edN apanese women as a discriminated groupanalogous to apans racialised minorities such asN >$inawansindigenous (inu and also !ormer colonial su#*ects such as residentKoreans andN Chinese% owever the claim to the same status o!oppression con.ates !orms o! domination withoutN sufcientattention to di2erent histories and structures o! colonialism. Bndeed, thelac of a racialethnicN anal5sis of poer dierences informs ho the acti-ists of uman riu did notprioritise solidarit5 ithN other ethnic groups in Japan, ut initiall5 focused more on their on lieration,

ecause the5N considered themsel-es analogous to these other oppressed minorities.N 2&. "he !ocuson ones own li#eration Hor the li#eration o! ones own identitygroupG is a signi)cant andN vital aspect o! any li#eration struggle%owever an e-clusive !ocus on ones own li#eration canN rein!orceindividualist?sel!@centred modes o! empowerment and con.ict with

other li#erationN movements%Q5S "he lac$ o! an anti@racist and anti@

colonial analysis or practice is symptomatic o! aN single@a-is

!eminist criticism that !ocuses on gender oppression o#scuring

and?or e-cluding otherN indices o! power% "he racialised?ethnicposition and class@privilege o! apanese !eminist su#*ects suchN as"a$eda might #e constructively compared with the relative racialprivilege o! middle@class WhiteN !eminists and the relative mo#ility o! middle@class (sian (merican !eminist women.\")] >istoricall5,N man5 rst'orldWhite and AsianAmerican omen ha-e struggled for their on empoermentN according to a lieralfeminist paradigm that has emphasised indi-idual upard moilit5. 4he largerN conte3t of anti'colonial andci-il rights mo-ements inspired the omenZs lieration mo-ements during N this era. >oe-er, the cross'fertilisation of mo-ements as not ala5s mutual.\%0] 4he dominant N discursi-e tra:ector5 of Afro'Asianscholarship has een largel5 celerator5; hoe-er, this laudator5N approach often lea-es economies of


34/143

Asian anti'Flac racism une3amined.\%] Bt is this under'e3plored N gendered'racial d5namic to hich B noturn.N Asian argirls mediating lacness6Chi ChiZs remi3N 2. 4he fourth lm se1uence is aout anLinaan argirl named Chi Chi. @onning an afro'ig andN hea-5 mae'up, Chi ChiZs -er5 appearancetransgures self'e3pression through a racialised fashionaestheticN that signies an intimac5 ith lacness.\%2] 4he audience is informed 5 >araZs -oice'o-erN that Chi Chi is a fourteen 5ear'old Linaan girl. 4hescene continues ith Chi Chi telling 4aeda thatN she is pregnant and does not no ho fathered thechild. 4his 5oung teenager sa5s her motherN ould ill her if she had the child, re-ealing her trouledsituation at home. 4he se1uence ends ithN the camera positioning the -ieer in Chi ChiZs room, as shegets undressed and egins ha-ing se3N ith an anon5mous Flac IB. >araZs camera lens implicates the-ieer in this transgressi-e moment.N !o5euristic desire and curiosit5 are at once hailed and potentiall5distured. F5 confronting the -ieerN ith this cross'racial scene eteen an anon5mous 5oung FlacAmerican soldier and a fourteenN 5ear'old girl the -ieer is e3posed to a spectacle of the transgressi-eintimacies of imperialism hichN is all the more pro-ocati-e and unsettling gi-en Chi ChiZs age.]N Higure ".A fourteen 5ear'old Linaan argirl named Chi Chi and an N anon5mous Flac IBN Source. >ara KaaraZs -oice'o-er refrains from an5 o-ert criticism of hothe S militar5 se3 industr5 impacts onN Linaan girls and omen, ut through the e3posure of a

fourteen 5ear'old girl, ?P? potentiall5N con:ures a narrati-e of lost innocence. By revealing ChiChi having se- with an anonymous Blac$ N soldier the )lm argua#lystages the >$inawan girl as corrupted and the Blac$ soldier as anN am#ivalent su#*ect o! desire and an agent o! de)lement% >is od5 isithout a name, ithout a distinctN stor5. >e is client, lo-er and polluter, and a potential part of a collecti-e

struggle for lieration.N "0. "his implicit criti,ue o! the corrupting in.uence o!the 7' military occupation ta$es place through theN spectacle o! thisBlac$@>$inawan se-ual encounter% 4his groundreaing and -isuall5 transgressi-eN lmenales -ieers to see and consume this Flac'Linaan se3ual liaison hile the White imperialN su:ectremains outside the frame. 4he near complete asence of White American IBs from the lm N erases Whiteagenc5 from the constructed and transplanted racial hierarch5.\%"] White heterose3ist N militar5go-ernance structures these Afro'Asian relations as the authoritati-e poer that imposes theN segregationof entertainment -enues 5 utilising Asian omen as mediators of racial poer. Although N there is noe3plicit indictment of the racism of S imperialism in ?P?, the Japanese'Flac'LinaanN relationships areconstituted ithin a larger structure of anti'Flac racism that meshes ith JapaneseN economies of

lighthite sin pri-ilege.N "% In =In the Blac$ Paci)c0 Bernard 'cott 9uciouswrites Colorism there!ore is not simply a Blac$@WhiteN color@linepro#lem o! the (!rican diaspora/ it is also a Blac$@yellow color@line

pro#lem o! (sianN diaspora%QUU (sian anti@Blac$ racism inmilitarised@se-ual contact +ones has een descried in JieonN uhZs, Fe5ond the Shadoof Campton (200%* and Katharine MoonZs Se3 Among Allies N ())&*.\%#] Bn these important ors, thesescholars descrie and detail the e3pressions, practices,N and the eects of anti'Flac racism, hich is amuch needed arena of historical documentation andN anal5sis. >oe-er, such or often remains at thele-el of descripti-e'reinscription 5 detailing theN actions of omen ithout critical commentar5 aout the

racism implied in their discourse.\%]N "2. In 'e- (mong (llies Moon documents theviolent e2ects o! racialised hierarchies within theN militarisedentertainment districts o! Korea $nown as camptowns%QUX Moonnotes that i! the womenN were !ound to #e consorting with #othBlac$s and Whites the women might =ris$ economic andN physicalretaliation #y White soldiers0 or if the5 discriminated against Flacs= and refused them,

the5N ould there5 ris the rath of clu'oners.=\%] Moreo-er, Moon writes that =ormost prostitutesN racial discrimination served as a means to retaintheir limited !reedom o! choice o! customers andN their alreadycompromised sense o! sel!@dignity%0\%) In other words to practiceanti@Blac$ racism isN the root?route to preserve a relative degree o!autonomy or dignity !or prostitutes who are alreadyN considered the=lowest o! the low%=\#0] (ccording to this logic HWhite mediatedG (siananti@Blac$ racistN practice produces an economy o! sel!@value that


35/143

has material implications !or the earning power andN sa!ety o!#argirls and se- wor$ers%N "". ?uro'American anti'Flac racism is thus transplanted andrearticulated in these militarised contactN ara=s camera.\#] erN intention to give #irth withoutassistance on camera e-presses her desire to pu#licly per!orm herN

independence and autonomy indicative o! a particular tra*ectory o!Hli#eralG !eminism that heraldsN individual !emale empowerment% N Higure %. 4aeda gi-es irth on camera in >araZs 4o5oN apartmentN Higure #. Koa5ashi Sachio recordssound and 4aedaZsN son /ei itness his mother gi-ing irth.N Source. >ara KaaraZs -isits to Linaa, he and 4aeda argue aout her relationship N ith her

Flac IB lo-er, Paul. @uring this argument (in se1uence &*, 4aeda states that her N relationship ith Paulould onl5 last hile she as in Linaa and that she as holding acN ecause he is Flac. Lne of 4aedaZs reasons for holding ac is rooted in a fear aout the colour of N her progen5. @uring her argumentith >ara, 4aeda shouts, What do 5ou thin is going to comeN outT A White idT=\#"] 4his e3clamationre-eals her an3iet5 aout the colour of her ospring. 4hisN holding ac due to PaulZs lacness re-ealsho her transgressi-e se3ual practice crosses theN racialised oundaries of Japanese familial nationalism. 4aeda desires to e3perience se3ual relationsN ith Paul, ut she is reluctant to emrace the prospect ofgi-ing irth to a Flac child.N "&. After gi-ing irth, 4aeda phones her mother to tell her aout the irthand that her a5 is mi3edrace.N After discussing the childZs sin colour, 4aeda sa5s, B canZt ill her no,so B ill raise her.= >erN response to her mother re-eals the staes in-ol-ed in the economies of cross'racial(anti'Japanese*N se3ual practice. 4his con-ersation ith her mother also re-eals Japanese discrimination


36/143

againstN mi3ed'lood (onetsu* children, and ho anti'Flac racism can manifest despite the relati-eN asence of Flac odies in Japanese societ5. 4aedaZs phoia of ha-ing a Flac child is thusN argual5informed 5 her recognition of the anti'Flac racism that she also tries to challenge through N her choice toraise her daughter.N ". While 4aeda as in Linaa, as noted ao-e, she tried to adopt a Flac'Linaan a5 o5 namedN Kenn5. Although she anted to adopt a Flac a5, she disclosed her

resistance to earing a FlacN child.\#%] "his distinction or contradiction isargua#ly rooted in a desire !or racial sel!@recognition in herN own

o2spring% "he Blac$@apanese se-ual encounter thus involves apotential loss o! racial sel!recognitionN inso!ar as apanese racialidentity is predicated on a non@Blac$ epidermal@spectrum thatN coheres ast (sian racialisation%Q##] According to this racial schema, ast (sianracial legi#ility andN coherence relies on a possessive investment innon@Blac$ epidermalisation and light?white s$inNN pri-ilege.\#] "he racialcoherence o! the HastG (sian su#*ect is thus trans)gured andreconstitutedN through its intimacy with #lac$ness. "hese Blac$@(merican@apanese encounters provide anN opportunity tointerrogate how the racialised identities o! ast (sians HChinese apanese KoreansGN are trans)gured in relation to #lac$ness.N "). ?-enthough transgressi-e cross'racial reproduction can e understood as an anti'JapaneseN patriarchal feministpractice, hat as lacing in the omenZs lieration mo-ement as a critical N discourse of ho Japanese(omen=s* identit5 as predicated on a racialised imperial'colonialN hierarch5 of life. ?-en though theirfeminist discourse often acnoledged their positionalit5 asN imperialist oppressors (as noted ao-e*, theirattempts to def5 Japanese patriarch5 often lacedN practices of solidarit5 ith other oppressedcolonised

groups, despite their (mis*understanding of N themsel-es as analogous ith them. "he opportunity!or solidarity with >$inawan women or Blac$ N soldiers wasunderdeveloped and delimited #y an emphasis on ones ownli#eration% 4his distinctionN eteen stri-ing for oneZs on lieration and struggling ith others forcollecti-e lieration is aN relational d5namic that remains as a tension in the strategic pursuit of lieration. NBmperial feminist criti1uecriti1uing imperial feminismsN %0. ?P? thus documents and e3poses the -arious

contradictions that arise in 4aedaZs attempts to forge N a transgressi-e feminist politics% "hisnarrative !ocus on "a$edas will to li#erate hersel! centres herN

desire as the driving !orce that ta$es the viewer to >$inawa as the

colonised stage !or her li#erationN process% "a$edas desire to have

se-ual relations with >$inawan men and Blac$ &Is trumps theN

imperative to struggl e !or political solidarity with them% 4he focus onse3ual lieration in this radicalN feminist mo-ement as its hallmar and its frontier.N %. After the scenesof 4aedaZs argument ith >ara aout her relationship ith Paul, the se1uence ends N ith the folloinginter'titleG >er relationship ith Paul lasted for three ees.= 4here is no furtherN information pro-ided toe3plain their rea up. $o reasons are oered as to h5 4aeda proceeds to N tae an e3tremel5 hostilestance toard all Flac IBs. Bn one of the nal se1uences of her sta5 inN Linaa, 4aeda rites apamphlet to gi-e to Linaan argirls in Ko


37/143

li#erationN o! Blac$ soldiers does not seem to !actor into "a$edas

political consciousness% 'uch anti@maleN discourse has characterised

)rst@world radical !eminist discourse #y !ocusing solely on se-ism

withoutN commensurate attention to the racial and classed power

structures within larger structures o! N imperialism and colonialism% "hrough this in,uiry we can see how )rst@world apanese !eministsN engage in se-ual pursuits that can #ecome colonising even thoughthey #egan with anti@imperialistN intentions to #rea$ down apanese

!amilial imperialism% Without ade,uate attention to racialN

hierarchies within colonial histories even anti@imperialist !eminism

that see$s to de!y apaneseN !amilial imperialism can remain limited

to a single@a-is modality o! se-ual li#eration and can !uel antiBlac$ N

male racism in the name o! womens li#eration% As a nal point, 4aedaZspamphlet pro-ides anN apt e3ample of the distinction eteen rst orld anti'imperialism (hat e ma5call imperialist antiimperialism*N and decolonial pra3is. ?-en though uman riu acti-ists ere informed 5an anti'imperialist criti1ue (as seen in the riu pamphlet cited ao-e*, articulating such criticism should

eN distinguished from engaging or sustaining a decolonial feminist pra3is. ( decolonial!eminist pra-isN re,uires that those !rom the imperialising?colonisingside ta$e heed o! the anti@colonial desires andN directives o! thecolonised rather than !ocusing on ones own li#eration or telling thecolonised howN they need to li#erate themselves% 4hus, although ?P? as inman5 a5s inspired 5 a roader antiimperialistN leftist sentiment, this anal5sis demonstrates ho such ahighl5 transgressi-e and -isuall5N pioneering lm can reinscrie and e3pose colonial modalities of eing,seeing, consumption andN aandonment.N


38/143

Persian &ul! Persian &ul! withdrawal strategies are always a lie told #yimperialists to maintain 7' regional strength% 'trategy inthe Persia &ul! e-tends !rom a history o! desire to control

the oil and resources in the areaverst 11(02&, 8arr5, author for /e-com focusing on the S agendain Bra1, Bran, Palestine and Bndia. 4he /e-olution. 7An imperialist War of 8iesand >orrensoud Crimes Against the Bra1i People9httpGre-com.usa2%ustroopithdraalfromira1'en.html accessed&"#*

Ln Hrida5, >cto#er J1 President Barac$ >#ama announced that allU;;;; remaining 7%'% military !orces would #e withdrawn !rom Ira,#y the end o! this year/ YAfter nearl5 nine 5ears, AmericaZs ar in Bra1 ille o-er,Y he said.N Lama presented the end of the ar as the fulllment of a

campaign promise, and a proud moment for the .S. in fullling a nolemissionGN Y4he last American soldier\s] ill cross the order out of Bra1 iththeir heads held high, proud of their success, and noing that the Americanpeople stand united in our support for our troops...4his @ecemer ill e atime to reDect on all that eZ-e een through in this ar. BZll :oin the Americanpeople in pa5ing triute to the more than million Americans ho ha-eser-ed in Bra1. WeZll honor our man5 ounded arriors and the nearl5 %,#00American patriots6and their Bra1i and coalition partners6ho ga-e theirli-es to this eort.YN Lama also called the ithdraal from Bra1 part of Yalarger transition.Y >e said, Y4he tide of ar is receding...$o, e-en as eremo-e our last troops from Bra1, eZre eginning to ring our troops home

from Afghanistan...Y >e claimed Ythe nited States is mo-ing forard from aposition of strength.YN While >#ama tal$s a#out Fthe tide o! warrecedingF the 7%'% is increasing its military presence and aggressionin 9i#ya and (!rica. BtZs escalating drone stries in Paistan, emen andSomalia. BtZs aging a lood5 ar in Afghanistan, where there are stillclose to 1;;;;; troops% (nd no the 7%'% military role is not #eingended in Ira, either% "he 7%'% has #een !orced to withdraw itsmilitary units3in part #ecause it couldnt !orge a new Fstatus o!!orcesF agreement with the Ira,i government% But thousands o! 7%'%diplomats military contractors CI( operatives and other support

personnel will remain in Ira, a!ter the end o! the year% "he 7%'% will

still have tens o! thousands o! troops as well as air and naval

power and various military alliances in the Middle ast and Central

(sia . And it continues to rattle its saers against Bran and S5ria.N 4he 200"

Bra1 Bn-asion6A 4oering War Crime, Fased on 8iesN "his announcement #y>#ama should ma$e people re.ect3on how and why this war waslaunched what it was actually a#out and what it says a#out thenature o! the 7%'% capitalist@imperialist system% Lama and the ruling

http://revcom.us/a/248/us_troop_withdrawal_from_iraq-en.htmlhttp://revcom.us/a/248/us_troop_withdrawal_from_iraq-en.html


39/143

class and media ha-e delieratel5 oscured, co-ered up, and lied aout theseissues for a decade6e-er since the run'up to the Bra1 ar egan in the hoursafter the attacs of Septemer , 200.N 4his ar as :ustied on the asisof ald'faced lies that ere cooed up through a delierate campaign ofdeceit that egan soon after Sept. . 4here as the lie that Bra1 had

eapons of mass destruction. 4hen there as the lie that Saddam >usseinhad ties to Al aeda and as someho in-ol-ed in Septemer . .S.go-ernment Yin-estigationsY and the media ha-e lamed Yfault5 intelligenceYor eing YsuceredY 5 Bra1i sources for their failure to nd a single cache ofWM@ in Bra1. "his is *ust another cover@up% "here is overwhelmingevidence3!rom many sources3that prove #eyond a shadow o! adou#t that these were deli#erate lies3concocted at the highestlevels o! government repeated endlessly #y #oth Democrats andRepu#licans and #y the imperialist media which served ascheerleaders !or the war% And these lies ere enforced 5 threats, smearcampaigns, and retaliation against an5 go-ernment andor militar5 oEcials orformer oEcials ho tried to challenge or e3pose them. (Hor instance,go-ernment oEcials and e3perts ne full ell that >ussein as hostile toBslamic fundamentalism and that Al aeda essentiall5 didnZt e-en e3ist in Bra1efore the .S. in-asion6it as onl5 until after the in-asion that the5 aroseithin Bra1.*N Lama and the rest of the rulers ant us to forget aout all this. N

4hese lies ere designed to co-er up the nature of the .S. in-asionG a naedact of aggression against a small, ea, 4hird World countr5 hich had notattaced the .S., and hich had een su:ect to o-er 20 5ears of .S.militar5 assaults, co-ert attacs, and political and economic strangulation.

4his aggression included the Bran'Bra1 War (green lighted and prolonged 5the .S.*, the )) Persian Iulf War, and a decade of .S.'$ sanctions.

4hese sanctions ere responsile for the deaths of at least #00,000 childrenand perhaps as man5 .& million Bra1is o-erall.N Bn short, the .S. in-asion ofBra1 t the te3too denition of a criminal ar6a ar crime. "his #asic3and o#vious3truth has systematically #een censored suppressedand covered up #y a decade o! ruling class lies and dou#le@tal$%"hese lies3and the lie that this war was a#out Fli#eratingF the Ira,people3twisted the truth inside out in true itlerian !ashion. Bnrealit5, this as a ar launched 5 the orldZs most -iolent and gloall5oppressi-e poer. Bt as part of a plan to sei


40/143

.S. as into3icated ith imperial huris6the5 dreamed of creating anunchallenged, and unchallengeale empire6dominating the planet as noother poer e-er had efore.N As Fo A-aian puts it, Y4hese imperialistsmae the Iodfather loo lie Mar5 Poppins.Y (FAsics G&* N >orrendous Bmpacton the Bra1i PeopleN Lama taled of honoring Your man5 ounded arriors

and the nearl5 %,#00 American patriots6and their Bra1i and coalition partners6ho ga-e their li-es to this eortY6the reference to the Bra1i peopleinserted in passing, a thro'aa5 line, ith no content.N Fut hat has theimpact of this ar een on the Bra1i peopleT 4his realit56hile elldocumented6has een delieratel5 ignored and lied aout 5 the imperialiststate, and the ruling classZ multi'faceted apparatus for shaping pulicopinion.N 4he 7%'% invasion and occupation o! Ira, has led directly tomassive slaughter displacement torture sectarian violencesu2ering and death. While the .S. media occasionall5 mentions that00,000 Bra1is ha-e died during the .S. ar and occupation, this numer-astl5 understates the actual numer of Bra1is directl5 murdered or ho diedas a result of the ar6as ell as those hose li-es ha-e een drasticall5shattered% ( J;;< survey pu#lished in the British medical *ournal9ancet !ound that there had #een more than pinion Research Business put the num#erat over 1 million% (ccording to the 7Ns Re!ugee (gency over U%Xmillion Ira,is have #een driven !rom their homes3two million !orcedout o! Ira, entirely% "hree million Ira,i women are now widowsaccording to Ira,s government3many !orced into prostitution% When go-ernment oEcials and the mainstream media do mention the factthat the ar has left 00,000 Bra1is dead, hatZs left unsaid is ho isresponsile6maing it seem as if these deaths ere accidents or unfortunateYcollateral damage,Y or the fault of YterroristsY or Yage'old conDictsY amongBra1is. Bn fact, the .S. imperialists are directl5 responsile for most of thesedeaths6e-en as reactionar5 Bslamists (hether inside or outside the Bra1igo-ernment*6ha-e carried out atrocities as ell. Hirst, man5 of thesemillions ere illed or displaced directl5 5 .S. forces. Second, since ))0,the .S. had s5stematicall5 shattered Bra1Zs ci-ilian infrastructure (ater,poer, etc.*, and then -iolentl5 dismantled Bra1Zs go-erning structures afterthe in-asion; oth actions had catastrophic impacts on life in Bra1. 4hird, the.S. empoered reactionar5 forces, including Bslamist parties, to go-ern Bra16utchers ho ha-e carried out idespread massacres and campaigns ofreligious sectarian cleansing against the Bra1i people, particularl5 against theSunnis, as ell as campaigns to forcil5 impose reactionar5 Bslamic strictureson Bra1i omen.N "he 7%'% military has committed widespread warcrimes and crimes against humanity% "hey have tortured andse-ually degraded and a#used countless thousands o! Ira,iprisoners at (#u &hrai# and other torture centers% 4he5Z-e turnedprisoners o-er to the reactionar5 .S.'aced Bra1i regime noing the5ould e tortured. YS authorities failed to in-estigate hundreds of reports ofause, torture, rape and e-en murder 5 Bra1i police and soldiers hose


41/143

conduct appears to e s5stematic and normall5 unpunished,Y the IuardianK reported. (YBra1 ar logsG secret les sho ho .S. ignored torture,Yguardian.co.u, Lct. 22, 200*.N Bn $o-emer 200#, .S. Marines murdered 2%Bra1is in cold lood in the cit5 of >aditha, and then lamed it on Yinsurgents.YBn 200 in Bsha1i in central Bra1, Y.S. troops e3ecuted at least 0 Bra1i

ci-ilians, including a oman in her &0s and a #'month'old infant, then calledin an airstrie to destro5 the e-idence.Y Bn Jul5 200&, a .S. helicopter gunneddon ci-ilians in Faghdad. Bra1i logger /aed Jarrar rote, YA -ideo postedthis ee 5 Wii8eas \of the helicopter massacre] is not an e3ception toho the .S. occupation operated in Bra1 all along, ut rather an e3ample ofit. While the -ideo is shocing and disturing to the .S. pulic, from an Bra1iperspecti-e it :ust tells a stor5 of an a-erage da5 under the occupation.Y(Y4he >aditha Massacre, and the Fush /egimeG Bllegal, Bmmoral, andB$4L8?/AF8?,Y /e-olution #0, June , 200; YWii8easG Bra1i Children in.S. /aid Shot in >ead, .$. Sa5s,Y McClatch5 $espapers, Septemer ,20; Y!ideo Shos .S. Killing of /euters ?mplo5ees,Y $e or 4imes, April#, 200; /aed Jarrar, YBra1G Se-en ears of Lccupation,Y [email protected],April 0, 200*N 4hese are the actions that Lama sa5s Americans should Yeproud of.YN $ot one single ma:or .S. militar5 commander, .S. oEcial,political leader or ar'leading media taling head has een held to accountfor an5 of this.N "he 7%'% and its military !orces are not #eloved #yIra,is as Fli#eratorsF3theyre hated #y millions o! people around theworld as savage violent !oreign imperialist occupiers% Withdraal of.S. 4roops Amidst Mounting ContradictionsN Hor all this -iolence, the 7%'%has not #een a#le to achieve its grand strategic o#*ectives in Ira, oreven its scaled@#ac$ o#*ectives% When Ieorge W. Fush signed the statusof forces agreement in 200 calling for an end to the .S. presence in Bra1 5the end of 20, it as assumed (perhaps e-en directl5 agreed upon* that.S. forces ould remain in Bra1 for sometime after that Yithdraal date.Y Nor over a year under >#ama the 7%'% has #een trying to negotiatea treaty with Ira, under which as many as 1S;;; 7%'% military !orcescould remain in Ira,. 4his summer, the .S. scaled don its demand tosome #,000 militar5 personnel. Fut hen the .S. insisted its militar5 forcese gi-en immunit5 from prosecution 5 Bra1i authorities for crimes under Bra1ila, the negotiations roe don. "his #rea$down re.ects and is aproduct o! the many comple- shi!ting contradictions the 7%'% !acesin attempting to more !orce!ully assert its domination in the Middleast3and how its Fwar on terrorF to !orci#ly reshape and moredirectly control Ira, (!ghanistan and the region has ended upe-acer#ating the very contradictions and o#stacles the war wasdesigned to resolve. All this has also intersected ith ne, unanticipatedde-elopments across the region and gloall5.N So it as this readon (andultimatel5 these deeper diEculties*6not a delierate plan6that forcedLamaZs hand (e-en as he had strategicall5 aimed to scale ac .S. forcesin Bra1 and Afghanistan, in an attempt to etter deal ith the deep stressesand strains on the empire*.N 4his is ut the latest chapter of .S. amitions inBra1 eing tharted, then scaled ac, and then tharted some more. Bt is


42/143

important to recall hat e3actl5 the Fush regime dreamed of in Bra1. A March2, 200" Wall Street Journal piece spelled some of it outGN Y\FushZs] dream isto mae the entire Middle ?ast a dierent place, and one safer for Americaninterests. 4he -ision is appealingG a region that, after a regime change inFaghdad, has pro'American go-ernments in the Ara orldZs three most

important countries, ?g5pt, Bra1 and Saudi Araia. Bn the long run, thatchanges the d5namic of the region, maing it more friendl5 to Washingtonand spreading democrac5. /educing the inDuence of radicals helps maePalestinians more amenale to an agreement ith Bsrael.YN Fut the .S. eganto encounter ig prolems ithin a fe months of in-ading Bra1. 4he Fushregime thought it could 1uicl5 and totall5 remae Bra1i societ5 and startYfreshY6creating a full5 suser-ient neocolon5, designed to t the gloalneeds of .S. capital and the regional needs of .S. poer. 4he .S.disanded the Bra1i Arm5, arred most Sunnis from holding go-ernmentpositions, and attempted to install a hand'piced .S. puppet council to rule.Bt e-en tried, under Paul Fremer, the .S. YAdministratorY of Bra1, to ramthrough drastic Yfree maretY capitalist economic restructuring. N 4hesepredatory and na$edly imperialist measures soon spar$ed a growingarmed resistance centered among Ira,i 'unnis that led to a 6@plusyear civil war and threatened to #oth tear Ira, apart and render the7%'% occupation untena#le. 4he American in-asion, coupled ith the endof >usseinZs essentiall5 secular regime, fueled Bslamic fundamentalism6othSunni and Shia. Bt pro-ided an opening for Al aeda and other Bslamist forcesto gain a foothold in Bra1. 4he .S. as forced to aandon its chosen lace5s(ho had little folloing inside Bra1* and turn to reactionar5 Shia religiousforces and parties, illing to or ith and under the .S., to attempt togo-ern and stailiusseinregime pro-ed to e e3tremel5 diEcult. 4oppling the regimes in Bra1 andAfghanistan, other regional de-elopments, and the hatred the .S. arsspaned across the region ended up strengthening Bran. Such tensions andcontradictions, including the mood of the people in Bra1, and the Bra1i rulersZfear of the ind of popular uprising seeping the region (perhaps triggered 5a too'close pulic emrace of the .S.* factored in to the impasse innegotiations o-er .S. forces continuing in Bra1. N None o! this is to say thatthe 7%'% is giving up on control and domination o! Ira, or that itwont continue to have a presence and shape events there3including with new assertions o! political and military intervention%Ira,s economy politics and military remain su#ordinate to anddominated #y imperialism Heven as there are comple- shi!ting andmulti@layered contradictions at wor$G% 4he largest .S. emass5 in theorld is in the heart of Faghdad, Bra1Zs capital. AFC $es reported that theState @epartment ill continue to ha-e some #,000 securit5 contractors and%,#00 other support contractors in Bra1, as ell as a signicant CBA presence.


43/143

And .S. oEcials ha-e stated there ill e a continuing militar5 relationshipith Bra1 that ill include the training of Bra1i forces. YSo e are no going toha-e a securit5 relationship ith Bra1 for training and support of theirmilitar5,Y Secretar5 of State >illar5 Clinton stated, Ysimilar to hat e ha-earound the orld from Jordan to Colomia.Y (@emocrac5 $o, 02%*N Hurther,

the .S. has uilt up a regional militar5 infrastructure o-er the past "0 5ears,and oEcials ha-e made clear the5 are not lea-ing the regionG YWeZre going tomaintain, as e do no, a signicant force in that region of the orld,YSecretar5 of @efense 8eon Panetta stated, including some 2",000 troops inKuait and aout 00,000 in Afghanistan. YSo e ill ala5s ha-e a forcethat ill e present and that ill deal ith an5 threats.Y (Y.S. WithdraalPlans @ra Suspicion, Hear in Bra1,Y Wall Street Journal, Lct 2"*N Containing,eaening, perhaps o-erthroing BranZs Bslamic /epulic of Bran has een acentral o:ecti-e of .S. strateg5 since the launch of the Yar on terrorY inSept. 200% Yet in many ways the 7%'% war and other events havestrengthened Iran% (nd now its possi#le that the 7%'% militarywithdrawal !rom Ira, may strengthen Iran !urther3in Ira, andregionally% Y4he ithdraal from Bra1 creates enormous strategiccomple3ities rather than closure,Y one imperialist thin tan anal5sis posed.Y4herefore, if the .S. ithdraal in Bra1 results in sustantial BranianinDuence in Bra1, and al Assad doesnZt fall, then the alance of poer in theregion completel5 shifts. 4his ill gi-e rise to a contiguous arc of BranianinDuence stretching from the Persian Iulf to the Mediterranean Sea runningalong Saudi AraiaZs northern order and along the length of 4ure5Zssouthern order.Y (Y8i5a and Bra1G 4he Price of Success,Y S4/A4HL/, Lct 2#20*N 4his possiilit5 has dri-en the .S. to ramp up its threats against Bran.As soon as the troop ithdraal as announced, Secretar5 of State Clintonarned, YBran ould e adl5 miscalculating if the5 did not loo at the entireregion and all of our presence in man5 countries in the region.Y (C$$6Stateof the nion, 02"*N Irand Schemes.... Profound @iEcultiesN LamaZs holloclaim that Ythe nited States is mo-ing forard from a position of strengthYcannot hide the fact that this entire decade of ar has cost the .S.enormousl5. Bt has greatl5 aggra-ated deep stresses in the .S. empire, and ithas intensied a hole cauldron of contradictions the .S. faces in thestrategicall5 crucial Middle ?ast'Central Asian regions. @ominance in this areahas een a pillar of .S. gloal poer in the post'World War 2 era, and to itscurrent and future status as the orldZs superpoer. 'o the 7%'%imperialists are compelled to attempt to )nd ways to maintain theirpower presence and preeminence in the region% But theyre )ndingthis an increasingly difcult and uncertain endeavor% So 5es, letZsreDect on these nearl5 nine 5ears of ar and occupation in Bra1. "heydemonstrate that the 7%'% is willing to employ massive violence andcommit savage crimes to advance its imperialist interests and staveo2 reversals or de!eat. Bt shos that the rulers of this countr5 are chronicliars ho ill sa5 an5thing6including the most latant and o-ious lies6toamoo


44/143

aggression6no matter ho itZs dressed up. And the5 underscore the moralimperati-e of e3posing the crimes and opposing the aggressions committed5 this countr5.N (t the same time the wars un!olding and now the7%'% militarys ignominious e-it !rom Ira, also illustrate the empirespro!ound and growing vulnera#ilities and how ,uic$ly its grand

schemes can #ac$)re% (ll this points to the potential !or even deepershoc$s and crises to *olt 7%'% capitalism@imperialism and theurgency o! revolutionary wor$ today to prepare !or such a moment inorder to #e a#le to sei+e such an opening to sweep this war@mongering system away% 4hen e onZt ha-e to mar anni-ersar5 afteranni-ersar5 of imperialist ar after imperialist ar.

"he construction o! the (ra# &ul! #y the 1ac is one thatrecreates the region as a dichotomous other that isdemoni+ed in order to #e con,uered'tewart ;4 (@r @ona J. Steart, director of the Middle ?ast Bnstitute and associate professor of

geograph5 at Ieorgia State ni-ersit5 200) 74he Middle ?ast 4oda5G Political, geographical and culturalperspecti-es9 accessed # fromhttpGsamples.sainsur5seoos.co.u)&"#)0&)#sample#%""".pdf 8C*

"hough today the term =Middle ast0 is very common ` it is arelatively new name )rst used #y (merican` naval ofcer andgeostrategist (l!red "hayer Mahan in` re!erence to the area aroundthe &ul! that made up a` British =+one o! in.uence0 in the latenineteenth century.` At that time, parts of the region under Hrench inDuence` ere non as the$ear ?ast. Foth these terms ere` designed to distinguish the region from the Har ?ast, ` composed of ?ast

and Southeast Asia. Fecause the term ` =Middle ast0 traces its roots to Westernimperialism, it can ha-e a derogator5 connotation. >oe-er, the term` is used throughout theregion; in fact, the largest Araic` dail5 nespaper, printed simultaneousl5 in tel-e cities,` is the 8ondon'

ased Ashar1 Alasat, or 4he Middle ?ast.` Bn realit5, hoe-er, despite the role o! Western `imperialism in creating the countries o! the modern` Middle ast (thefocus of Chapter #*, !ew people in ` the West had detailed )rst@hand$nowledge o! the place` or its peoples% Instead the Middle ast and(sia were ` part o! a much larger i! ill@de)ned region stretching all ̀the way to China and apan $nown as the >rient% 4he` term Lrient= deri-edfrom 8atin, meaning land of the` rising sun=, hence ?ast=. (4he term Lccident=, referring` to the West, ut

rarel5 used toda5, meant land of the` setting sun=.*` "he >rient was avidly studied #yWestern scholars` particularly during the era o! Western imperiale-pansion ` in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. @epartments` ofLriental Studies ere set up in numerous Western` uni-ersities for the stud5 of the Lrient=s languages,` culture and histor5. Artists tried to capture the essence of ̀ the Lrient in their paintings, compositions and

literar5` ors. Among the est'non are the operas Aida and` Madame FutterD5 and the musical 4heKing and B. Agatha` Christie=s Murder on the Lrient ?3press and @eath on` the $ile are e3amples of literar5genres that emraced` the Lrient. 4hese artistic ors ere a-idl5 consumed` 5 a ?uropean and

American pulic enthralled 5 the` e3oticism of the Lrient. ` "his construction o! a place$nown as =the >rient0` had enormous rami)cations !or Westernperceptions o! ` the region% Bn his ground'reaing or Lrientalism,` ?dard Said arguedthat Lrient and Lccident ored` as oppositional terms, so that =the >rient0 was ̀constructed as a negative inversion o! Western culture% ̀urthermore this view o! the >rient helped to ` *usti!y ?uropean

http://samples.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/9781135980795_sample_543833.pdfhttp://samples.sainsburysebooks.co.uk/9781135980795_sample_543833.pdf


45/143

imperialism during the eighteenth` and nineteenth centuries 5 casting the Lriental=` asunci-ili


46/143


47/143

#est way to organi+e the politics of representationalit5 in state poerfor the good of all peoples e-er5here on earth. "his is presented as#eing sensi#le practical and Fcivili+ed,Y in fact as the onl5 a5 toorgani


48/143

instances, the views o! N&>s that ha-e emerged as a response to democrac5 promotionprogrammes re.ect donors0 views of democrac5, oth in their immediate goals and in themeans the5 use to pursue them. Hourthl5, many o! the N&>s !avoured 5 democrac5assistance programmes have a small mem#ership and therefore lac$ amandate from a ider constituenc5, putting oth their sustaina#ility and

representativeness in dou#t. Hinall5, there is e-idence that donor assistance canactuall5 militate against grassroots participation ecause the $ILs it helps to ring aout are percei-ed asdepoliticised, too closel5 aligned ith donor ser-ice deli-er5 agendas, too dependent on e3ternal funding,and out of touch ith the grassroots (>oell and Pearce, 200*. 4aen together, these factors meant thatdonors often !ocused on particular types o! social organisation (ur#an'ased and poorl5 rooted in societ5, top@down rather than grassrootstrustee rather than representative organisations and heavilyreliant on e-ternal !unding !or their continued e-istenceG and, asa result, #ypassed other signi)cant agents o! social and political change%

Democrati+ation creates a violent disingenuous imperialrelation to the countries it claims to help'later oe-er, in the conte3t of imperial poers one needs to rememer that the autonom5 of other democratice3periments has een terminated 5 inter-entions organised 5 Washington (eg Iuatemala in )#%, Chile

in )&", $icaragua during the )0s6see Slater, 2002*. Bn this sense the internal tension#etween the logic o! unity and the logic o! di2erence has #eenovershadowed #y an imperial logic o! incursion, !ollowed #y theimposition o! a dierent set of political rules% Bn the e3ample of the SA it can e suggestedthat there is a logic of democrac5 for e3port and a logic of terminating inter-ention for other democraticprocesses that ha-e oered a dierent political patha5. Hurthermore, inter-entions hich ha-e led to theo-erthro of dictatorial regimes, as in Bra1 in 200", ought not to lead us into forgetting the realities ofWestern support for militar5 dictatorships in the gloal South throughout the 20th centur5.2 $or, asCallinicos (200"G 2%* reminds us, should e turn a lind e5e to the fact that there are contemporar5e3amples of support for non'democratic regimes, as shon in the case of the Fush administration=sacing for the Karimo- regime in


49/143

spread democracy and liert5 to the rest of the orld. "his :u3taposition, hich is also closel5tied to the founding importance of the self'determination of peoples, is characterised #y aninherent tension #etween strong anti@colonial sentiment and thepro*ection o! power over peoples o! the "hird World% Discourses o!democracy are deployed in ways that are intended to transcend such

dissonances and to *usti!y the imperial relation, e-en though such a relation isfre1uentl5 denied (for a critical re-ie, see Co3, 200#*. What is also signicant in this conte3t is the ideathat democrac5 S'st5le is eing called for, eing in-ited 5 peoples 5earning for freedom, so that more

generall5 imperial power is #eing invited to spread its wings (see Maier, 200#*.Rather than democracy #eing imposed, it is suggested that the 7'( isresponding to calls from other societies to #e democratised so that through a ind of cellular multiplication a 7' model can #e graduall5 introducedE theowners will e the peoples of other cultures ho ill )nd ways o! adapting the Stemplate to their own circumstances% As it is e-pressed in the National'ecurit5 'trateg5 for 200, it is the policy o! the 7nited 'tates to see$ andsupport democratic movements and institutions in e-er5 nation and culture= (White>ouse, 200G *. What is on o2er here is a $ind o! =viral democracy0 where#y the

politics of guidance is merged into a politics of #enign adaptation%" $e-ertheless,at the same time, a speci)c !orm o! democratic rule is #eing pro*ected andalternative models that include a criti1ue of S poer and attempts to introduceconnections with popular sovereignty and ne !orms o! socialism aresingled out for opprorium. "his is re.ected in the commentary on ugo Chave+ 3=inAene+uela a demagogue awash in oil money is undermining democracy and see$ingto desta#ili+e the region0 (White >ouse, 200G #*. 4his is despite the !act that the Aene+uelan leader has won more elections in the past se-en 5ears than an5 other 8atinAmerican leader.


50/143

egemony7%'% military interventions in !oreign countries aresteeped in imperialist ulterior motives3ensures #ac$lashand violence

&rossman ;J (@r. [oltan, facult5 memer in Ieograph5 and $ati-e American UWorld Bndigenous Peoples Studies at 4he ?-ergreen State College, Heruar5 0#,2002 $e S Militar5 FasesG Side ?ects Lr Causes LfWarT httpG.histor5isaeapon.comdefcongrossmanases.html*

Whether e loo at the .S. ars of the past decade in the Persian Iulf, Somalia, theFalans, or Afghanistan, or at the possi#le new wars in emen, the Philippines,or Colom#ia?Aene+uela or even at Fushks ne Ya3is of e-ilY of Ira, Iran andNorth Korea the same common themes arise% "he 7%'% militaryinterventions cannot all #e tied to the insatia#le 7%'% thirst !or oil (or ratherfor oil prots*, even though many o! the recent wars do have their roots in oilpolitics% "hey can nearly all #e tied to the 7%'% desire to #uild or re#uild

military #ases% "he new 7%'% military #ases and increasing control over oilsupplies can in turn #e tied to the historical shi!t ta$ing place since the14S;s/ the rise o! uropean and ast (sian #locs that have the potential toreplace the 7nited 'tates and 'oviet 7nion as the world0s economicsuperpowers%Much as the /oman ?mpire tried to use its militar5 poer to uttress its eaeningeconomic and political hold o-er its colonies, the 7nited 'tates is aggressivelyinserting itsel! into new regions o! the world to prevent its competitors!rom doing the same% "he goal is not to end FterrorF or encourageFdemocracyF and Fush ill not accomplish either of these claimed goals. "heshort@term goal is to station 7%'% military !orces in regions where localnationalists had evicted them% "he long@term goal is to increase 7%'%

corporate control over the oil needed #y urope and ast (sia hether theoil is in around the Caspian or the Cariean seas. "he ultimate goal is toesta#lish new (merican spheres o! in.uence and eliminate any o#stacles@@religious militants secular nationalists enemy governments or evenallies@@who stand in the way%7%'% citi+ens may welcome the interventions to de!end the FhomelandF !romattac$ or even to #uild new #ases or oil pipelines to preserve 7%'%economic power% But as the dangers o! this strategy #ecome moreapparent (mericans may #egin to reali+e that they are #eing led down aris$y path that will turn even more o! the world against them and leadinevita#ly to !uture 'eptem#er 11s%

httpG.colorado.eduBFSP?CgadconfpapersDint.html

Promotion o! 7' hegemony leads to dominationlint ;J Colin, Iraduate Student, @epartment of Ieograph5, Penn State ,7?3tra'territorialit5, reterritoriali


51/143

Bn this ord's5stems anal5sis interpretation of the current economicprocesses, the one B adopt in this paper, the role of hegemonic poers is -italin e3plaining hat is diused, and h5, from here, and hen. Bn otherords, it oers a geohistorical conte3tuali


52/143

region where the 7%'% had never #e!ore had a !oothold% "he 7%'% military isinserting itsel! into strategic areas o! the world and anc

fellows - imperialism k

Documents