supranational alliances & imperialism

Supranational Union

Ashutosh Goel (Student Aravali) | IH | September 3, 2016

Supranational Alliances & Imperialism

INTEGRATED HUMANITIES

The side that I am going to stick with is going to be, that supranational alliances are imperialist in nature. A policy of extending a country's power and influence through colonization, use of military force, or

other means, is the definition of imperialism. Supranational alliances are global entities encompassing of member states with a common

goal and target. These major states are usually capitalist in nature. A person who uses their wealth to invest in trade and industry for profit

in accordance with the principles of capitalism.

This connection between capitalism and supranational has given rise to questions on the nature

INNTEGRATED HUMANITIES PAGE 1

of supranational alliances. Are they created to solve people’s problems or to establish a global and unified system of power? This is a rhetoric question asked by many of the journalists. Taking into the account the present day situation, we can only answer this question by looking at what the different supranational alliances have managed to achieve along with what they haven’t, because this would give us the exact achievements by the alliances.

Increasing global co-operation between member states in supranational alliances has resulted in the yielding a part of their rule and sovereignty and some of their functions. Thus, the globalization of power takes place. World War one could be an example, but in, World War 1 alliances had a very different method of functioning than today’s multinational co-operations. In WW1, the member states cared for their fellow members and preserved their rule and sovereignty and did not lose it. But of course, the scenario now is very different. If we look at the situation now, or take an example from the present day, the first thing that comes in our mind is the European Union. The European union is imperialistic in nature that has caused a lot of discontent and has destabilized the Eurozone. This dominant attitude of the EU challenges its theory on supranational and multinational co-operation, which aims in, growing economically, and proving free trade, with the European Union.

The EU or also known as European Union is a good example of imperialism mixed with capitalism. It questions the fact that capitalist expansion is transnational, multinational and international.

The United Nations or the UN is a major supranational alliance with the primary motive of ensuring worldwide peace and co-operation


amongst member states. The decision making power of the UN however is very different

internally. The UN is like an open platform for diplomacy and peacekeeping. It is governed by the main imperial powers and can only act when these powers

agree. Thus there is a conflict in decision making and many important resolutions are

lost in the process. In the General Assembly of the United Nations, all nations get one vote and

again a large no. of resolutions and promises of major nations are passed against their will. The UN aims in proving world peace, by signing peace treaties, and by applying peacekeeping forces, where there is a need. Furthermore, records of the UN suggest that it unambiguously acts like an honest party for maintaining peace and réconciliation, it follows interests of the main powers. This evidence clearly states that the UN is an abundance of diplomacy and this quality is not good for such a crucial organization.

The UN could only make a meaningful difference if it could somehow develop a broader & peaceful consensus on the major problems of world relations. But this cannot happen since it is on key interests that the powers must collide. Therefore, the imperialistic behavior of the UN has given birth to a lot of liabilities in terms of international growth.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a military supranational alliance whose main purpose is to provide aid and


support to a member nation in case it is attacked by an enemy. This alliance too has adopted imperialism and has faced a lot of criticism worldwide. Many have even questioned its existence as to whether or not it is the NATO which was formed in 1949. The United States urged NATO to expand its territory worldwide at the cost of public services. The US forced NATO to become an expansionist entity and becoming a NATO member proves to be profitable for U.S.-Israeli weapon industries and

arm dealers. The US has used NATO to fuel imperialist domination of the globe through its militarism, including the establishment of U.S. military bases in strategic areas of the

world. Thus The transformation of NATO into a tool of U.S. imperialism is endangering the survival of

the planet.Another very good and strong example of an imperialistic

supranational alliance is NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). While its free trade agreements protected national economic prosperity and democracy, its imperialism threatened economies at the global level. Free trade permitted the United States to exploit the resources of less developed countries in order to advance the American economy. This gave them the access to trading zones that were once limited but all this was at the expense of the host


country. Although NAFTA was successful in stabilizing the economy of the United States, it failed to recognize the right of other nations to do the same. It is also said NAFTA obstructed and delayed the ability of developing countries to gain momentum in economic growth and democracy which the US claim to defend.

Reflecting from the above examples, one now can clearly see that supranational alliances are imperialistic in nature and it is clearly bad for them in several different ways. Countries like the UK held a referendum and took the opinion of the people on whether they should remain in the EU. More than half voted out and thus the


“Brexit” (Britain’s exit from the EU) took place. This decision was crucial for Britain as it was tightly suppressed by the clutches of the EU. Its heavy taxations and regulations virtually controlled every aspect in the lives of the people. Its motive to establish free trade overseas was out of the picture. Therefore, keeping the above example in mind, the influence of imperialism on a supranational alliance can drastically change its course from international co-operation towards disputes and discontent. This will further lead to conflicts on a regional scale and inevitably it can turn into a global problem.

Thus it is necessary for supranational alliances to not “restrict” their member states but support their economic growth and stability. The above examples talked about how supranational alliances functioned and some way or the other, the element of imperialism was still present. One way or another, supranational organizations are tempted by power and influence and they fall into the hands of imperialism. Therefore, it is very safe to say that supranational alliances are imperialistic in nature.

In the end I would conclude by saying that we need supranational alliances, which are imperialistic in nature, as it helps maintain peace and quality between nations.

MLA Citations

Morley, D. Morley, Daniel. "The United Nations: A Tool Of Imperialism".In Defence of Marxism. N. p., 2016. Web. 4 Sept. 2016.

KAMPRAGKOS, C.KAMPRAGKOS, Chrysovalantis. "A Global And Unified


System Of Power?". Mémoire(s), identité(s), marginalité(s) dans le monde occidental contemporain. Cahiers du MIMMOC 14 (2015):. Web. 4 Sept. 2016.

NAFTA is the New Imperialism: Securing American Economic Prosperity at the Cost of Global Social Welfare "NAFTA Is The New Imperialism: Securing American Economic Prosperity At The Cost Of Global Social Welfare". Jessica's Works. N. p., 2011. Web. 4 Sept. 2016.

NATO: A Tool Of U.S. Imperialism By Ghali Hassan

"NATO: A Tool Of U.S. Imperialism By Ghali Hassan". Countercurrents.org. N. p., 2016. Web. 4 Sept. 2016.

Imperialism of the European Union

"Imperialism Of The European Union".Blueridgejournal.com. N. p., 2016. Web. 4 Sept. 2016.


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