American hegemony is the basic fact of global politics, recognized by all other powers. This has been the state of world affairs at least since the Bretton Woods conference of 1944 established the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund -- and put them in Washington, DC. The U.S. will to dominate its perceived enemies and intimidate its allies was confirmed by the two American nuclear bombing attacks on the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
American global authority rests on a nuclear arsenal, and an armed empire composed of over 1,000 military bases around the world. The U.S. have 95 per cent of all bases maintained outside national territory by all countries. These American bases cost over $100 billion a year to operate.
American industrial, financial, and military expansion rely on its world financial sovereignty: U.S. dollars (credit and currency) are accepted everywhere.
For Canada and other powers the main political question has been how to deal American hegemony. Enter into close alliance with the giant power? Come together to create a counter-weight to the U.S.? Or, build a world not dependent on American military might or the U.S. dollars used as reserves by banks and other governments?
Militarily, the Western nations (France dissenting), agreed to second American hegemony by joining the NATO alliance, currently conducting failing military operations in Afghanistan, much like Alexander the Great, the British, and the Soviets before them.
Since the conclusion of World War II, Western European nations have been building a counter-weight to U.S. domination, beginning with the Monnet Plan. The launch of the Euro represents only the latest in a series of serious attempt to dethrone the dollar within Europe. Indeed, European monetary co-operation was the stepping stone to the 1957 Treaty of Rome which established the six nation European Common Market.
The framers of the United Nations Charter foresaw the creation of a new political world where power would be shared. However, the UN Charter of 1945 was never to escape American authority despite its promising preamble: "We the peoples of the United Nations determined ...."
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Generations of Canadians took the 1958 Noble Peace Prize awarded to Lester Pearson to mean that Canada supported the exercise of political power through the UN, where all nations would have a say, and middle powers like Canada would play a leading role in promoting peaceful settlement of disputes. Multilateral institutions, like those devoted to trade (GATT/WTO), health (WHO), child welfare (UNICEF), agriculture (FAO), and other UN agencies, would build a coherent approach to a wide range of international questions based on co-operation and sharing.
Canadians were duped. By and large Canadian leaders, including Pearson, were primarily interested in option one, maintaining a close alliance with America. Brian Mulroney took this policy to its apparent limit by negotiating an economic integration scheme with the U.S. called free trade that came into effect in 1989. In his efforts to have Canada emulate the U.S. in its policies, Stephen Harper surpasses even Mulroney.
In Canada, as elsewhere, the cynics, and the self-declared pragmatists have bested the arguments made for building a just society on a world scale. State politicians addicted to political realism -- calculations of interests and power -- have abandoned creativity, empathy, intelligence, and ultimately, reason itself.
Now, the basic facts of environmental destruction, economic injustice, and criminal waste of resources for military purposes need to be brought to the forefront. American hegemony can no longer be used as an excuse to stifle debate in Canada or elsewhere. The preamble to the UN Charter set the task that awaits: "to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples."
How can Cameron write an article about the struggle against U.S. hegemony without even mentioning the most successful counter-hegemonic development since 1945?
I speak of course of ALBA, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America.
• To promote trade and investment between member governments, based on cooperation, and with the aim of improving people's lives, not making profits.
• For member states to cooperate to provide free healthcare and free education to people across the ALBA states.
• To integrate the ALBA member's energy sectors to meet people's needs.
• To create alternative media to counterbalance the US and regional neo-liberal media and promote an indigenous Latin American identity.
• To ensure land redistribution and food security within the member states.
• To develop state-owned corporations.
• To develop basic industries so that ALBA member states can become economically independent.
• To promote workers' movements, student movements, and social movements.
• To ensure that projects under ALBA are environmentally friendly.
The best thing Canadian progressives can do to fight U.S. hegemony is to call for Canada to join ALBA.
Canadians are the most deluded people in the world. Canadians are the most eager fascists-to-be. Won't need to wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. Either serve the machine or be crushed under its wheels. Look how much eager support of the masses the G20 police state roundup garnered. Harper can barely contain himself and once again drools at the prospect of majority( ie the final nail). Mulrooony sold this country down the river, and Harpo intends to deliver on the deal until there is a hole in Alberta/Sask the size of the moon, and there is nary a tree standing and no longer a drop of fresh water left to drink, while all the former servants to power wonder why their money is just little pieces of paper.
"Peace, order and good corporate profits" is how it goes, no?
Mr. Duncan states that: State politicians addicted to calculations and power have abandoned creativity, empathy, intelligence and ultimately reason itself. Guess what? They never had these so there was nothing for them to abandon! Those who possess these traits are not welcomed to their playpen, believe me. People who enjoy creativity, emphathy, intelligence and reason are considered utterly devoid of a brain to these politicians and people they cater to - the elite. One such person once told me that I must have little self-esteem because I refused to collude with ruthless, unprincipled human beings. Rather than say "Good for you that you have principles/integrity", I just didn't have "self-esteem". Never mind the "bleeding heart" reproach that got hurled at me. Ruthless people can't seem to even wrap their brains around something called sensitivily, empathy, intelligence. Their brains are wired differently from our own!
to quote my buddy, Joe Bageant, " ...So keep on humping. Remember: We've got predator drones... " along the Canadian Border, too, Joe.
When Canadians recognize we have much in common with the plural pan-Americas experience, for *all cultures & races & orientations* we'll be a lot better off.
The corruption is in the Money & Power, not in the partisan adherence to supporting political parties & infrastructure services they've bought & subverted.
our answer isn't to destroy or walk away from our *corrupted* institutions, but to use the influence of our numbers to evolve positive change. then build upon those changes.
that requires good PR & educating the General Public.
folks who say, 'burn it all down!' don't know for what they're advocating (or don't care about the consequences), they're assuming that everyone is smart & ethical enough to make a complete restructuring work... the smart & effective strategy isn't to 'break all the rules! torch everything!' but to make the rules work for us.
complete 'revolution' means destruction & direct fear-driven conflictive resentment, while a gradual transformation puts fewer people into crisis.
its important to never corner a rat: use your wiles to simply lead it where you need it to go to effectively get what you want.
of course, to do that, its important for Canadian activists to do what the World needs most from us: direct & herd the OilBerta Corruption into a position where we've controlled their ability to do damage & they can't sell our reputation & PR for their own ends.
Canada has a talent & ability: we have to leverage what we can do best - Education & good PR for good causes.
Evolution baby, evolution!
You're never going to "make the rules work for us" because they aren't our rules. They're their rules, and they're rigged against us.
We need to make new rules - rules that don't assume that power will remain with a relative handful of plutocrats who own the bulk of the wealth as well as the means for creating more wealth. That means putting some pretty powerful people out of business. They won't go willingly. It will require a radical restructuring of power relationships in society.
And that's a revolutionary change. It won't be brought in gradually or by stealth; the plutocrats are not fools and they aren't afraid to use their power to save their own privileges. They won't be "led" like rats into giving up their wealth and power.
yeah, good luck selling a 'everybody & everything has got to go'.
what you don't know about motivational psychology & anthropology leaves a lot to be desired, M.Spector
good luck with that!
Good luck using your motivational psychology and anthropology to stop capitalists from waging war on the rest of us to protect their profits!
Let us know how that works out!