Isolationism Revisited
Joe Mayer's Progressive Ponderings
In the last "Progressive Ponderings" I confessed to being an isolationist if that meant opposing Bush's expansionist agenda achieved through violent imperialistic methods. There is much irony in the president's attacking so-called isolationists in his State of the Union address. His first years in office saw him withdraw from and refuse to sign numerous treaties and conventions usually signed by over ninety percent of the nations of the world. The administration's use of the term "unilateral" emphasizes isolationist positions. The assumed right to preemptive war is a go-it-alone policy. After 9/11, Bush labeled the United Nations, the world's only truly legitimate cooperative body, as irrelevant and signaled his individualistic cowboy attitude toward the remainder of the world. In fact, in his first year of office, his lone venture into global cooperation was in pursuing trade agreements beneficial to corporate America.
Bush's attempts at democratizing the world by force and lecture are backfiring on a regular basis. Nation after nation, after exercising their free vote, have elected leaders who oppose American hegemony and corporate globalism. Elections in Iran and Egypt weakened U.S. influence in the Middle East. The recent election in Palestine, besides illustrating the incompetence of our intelligence sources thst completely missed predicting this outcome, show that most Islamic countries are now comfortable in challenging the U.S. administration's desires.
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela have all chosen more liberal if not outright socialistic leaders. In doing so, the poor and indigenous people are attempting to throw off the yoke of aristocratic and corporate capitalism that has enslaved them for centuries. In our border country of Mexico the leftist contestant has a strong lead in polls.
A second irony pursued by team Bush is its constant rhetoric that its only goal is freedom and democracy. Insinuating that they are doing God's will in preaching freedom and democracy, the administration demands, bribes, and compels these "free" nations to do its (the administration's) will or suffer the consequences.
If it looks like a duck... it is a duck. No matter how often we deny it or how many ways we explain it, the rest of the world sees the United States as an imperialistic empire. Many countries are rejecting a single economic policy, a single culture, a single Western-style democracy. They refuse to roll over and play dead in front of Uncle Sam and the big stick. They take seriously "either for or against" and opt for "against."
Americans don't understand this. Our own propaganda machine and corporate press, plus our seemingly innate "exceptionalism," prevent us from acknowledging that others have valid viewpoints that differ from ours.
Globalization is a fact. Technologies in communication and travel have shrunk the globe. Migration and the mixing of nationalities and races have reduced old prejudices and fears. Cultural differences, instead of causing fear and ridicule, now attract the study and admiration of many people. The holdouts are extreme religionists, extreme nationalists, extreme imperialists. Empire and democracy don't mix well. Empire and corporate globalization will only work with constant force and violence. Peaceful globalization and patriotic arrogance are incompatible.
The position of progressives, from all nations of the world, is to recognize and respect everyone in the global community, realizing that our destiny is within the web of this community. Embracing each other is more fruitful than hating; the universal religious proverb of "doing unto others" is a preferred alternative to war.
Isolationism is not an option in a shrinking world.
Jmayer
In the last "Progressive Ponderings" I confessed to being an isolationist if that meant opposing Bush's expansionist agenda achieved through violent imperialistic methods. There is much irony in the president's attacking so-called isolationists in his State of the Union address. His first years in office saw him withdraw from and refuse to sign numerous treaties and conventions usually signed by over ninety percent of the nations of the world. The administration's use of the term "unilateral" emphasizes isolationist positions. The assumed right to preemptive war is a go-it-alone policy. After 9/11, Bush labeled the United Nations, the world's only truly legitimate cooperative body, as irrelevant and signaled his individualistic cowboy attitude toward the remainder of the world. In fact, in his first year of office, his lone venture into global cooperation was in pursuing trade agreements beneficial to corporate America.
Bush's attempts at democratizing the world by force and lecture are backfiring on a regular basis. Nation after nation, after exercising their free vote, have elected leaders who oppose American hegemony and corporate globalism. Elections in Iran and Egypt weakened U.S. influence in the Middle East. The recent election in Palestine, besides illustrating the incompetence of our intelligence sources thst completely missed predicting this outcome, show that most Islamic countries are now comfortable in challenging the U.S. administration's desires.
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, and Venezuela have all chosen more liberal if not outright socialistic leaders. In doing so, the poor and indigenous people are attempting to throw off the yoke of aristocratic and corporate capitalism that has enslaved them for centuries. In our border country of Mexico the leftist contestant has a strong lead in polls.
A second irony pursued by team Bush is its constant rhetoric that its only goal is freedom and democracy. Insinuating that they are doing God's will in preaching freedom and democracy, the administration demands, bribes, and compels these "free" nations to do its (the administration's) will or suffer the consequences.
If it looks like a duck... it is a duck. No matter how often we deny it or how many ways we explain it, the rest of the world sees the United States as an imperialistic empire. Many countries are rejecting a single economic policy, a single culture, a single Western-style democracy. They refuse to roll over and play dead in front of Uncle Sam and the big stick. They take seriously "either for or against" and opt for "against."
Americans don't understand this. Our own propaganda machine and corporate press, plus our seemingly innate "exceptionalism," prevent us from acknowledging that others have valid viewpoints that differ from ours.
Globalization is a fact. Technologies in communication and travel have shrunk the globe. Migration and the mixing of nationalities and races have reduced old prejudices and fears. Cultural differences, instead of causing fear and ridicule, now attract the study and admiration of many people. The holdouts are extreme religionists, extreme nationalists, extreme imperialists. Empire and democracy don't mix well. Empire and corporate globalization will only work with constant force and violence. Peaceful globalization and patriotic arrogance are incompatible.
The position of progressives, from all nations of the world, is to recognize and respect everyone in the global community, realizing that our destiny is within the web of this community. Embracing each other is more fruitful than hating; the universal religious proverb of "doing unto others" is a preferred alternative to war.
Isolationism is not an option in a shrinking world.
Jmayer
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