Jesse Harasta describes the complex dynamics of contemporary imperialism and resistance. He argues that understanding a world system divided into Core, Semi-Periphery and Periphery is essential for unpicking and analysing the real workings of global capitalism today. Harasta states that Gulf states have engaged in an active imperial re-peripheralization of the Horn of Africa, which has had devastating consequences but it has also triggered resistance, and important political confrontations. The post Imperialism and Resistance in the Red Sea appeared first on ROAPE.
On the 60th anniversary of Kenya's independence, Gathanga Ndung'u criticizes the country for betraying its independence war heroes and aligning with imperialist forces. He points out Kenya's support for Israel and abandonment of Palestinians, alliances with apartheid regimes, and questionable international peacekeeping missions. The article calls for a rethink of Kenya's foreign policies, realigning with oppressed nations, and rectifying internal betrayals to truly achieve independence. The post Kenya – a loyal lieutenant of imperialism appeared first on ROAPE.
A new era of antagonism between the US and China has emerged in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is seen in the mounting rhetoric of "strategic competition" escalating military expenditures and efforts at alliance building such as AUKUS. Increasingly important are the US's efforts to contain China economically, as seen in the US CHIPS Act that restricts exports of US and Taiwanese semiconductors and advanced technological components. However, at the heart of worsening relations between the US and China is a paradox: the US and China are integrated into global capitalism and deeply interdependent in processes of accumulation. The major fault line of international antagonism no longer lies between the capitalist world and its external enemies as in the last Cold War, rather it is between the two major capitalist powers. It was this puzzle of antagonism amidst integration, that I sought to unknot in my Honours thesis in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney. The post From ‘New Imperialism’ to ‘New Cold War’ appeared first on Progress in Political Economy (PPE).
Our guest this week is Mark G. E. Kelly, an Associate Professor in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at Western Sydney University. He is the author of The Political Philosophy of Michel Foucault (2009), as well as of Biopolitical Imperialism (from Zer0 books, in 2015) and he is also working on a book called 'For Foucault: Against Normative Political Theory' (SUNY, expected 2018).
Kelly has weighed in a number of recent 'Foucault' controversies, including the question of whether Foucault was a neoliberal. In this interview, we get into that debate. But I think for most listeners, the interesting stuff will be towards the end, where Kelly talks about Biopolitical Imperialism, and addresses the conflict in Syria.
The podcast was recorded on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. In the interview, you'll hear Kelly comment on Donald Trump's pivot a few days previous, on Syria. Two days after the recording, on April 7, the US military launched a cruise missile attack on a Syrian airfield. The attack was carried out in response to a chemical weapons incident in Idlib province, perpetrated allegedly by Syrian state forces. It would be hard to imagine a stronger confirmation of Kelly's arguments about Biopolitical Imperialism.
As people take to the streets and governments recall their ambassadors to Israel, Palestine solidarity in South America is not only a fight against Israeli apartheid but also US hegemony in the region.
The International Affairs Centenary Special Issue on "Race and Imperialism in International Relations: Theory and Practice" was published two years ago in the aftermath of the global Black Lives Matter movement; it marked an atypical period of introspection by many scholars, departments, and journals of International Relations on the general paucity of attention given to matters of race and imperialism in IR research and teaching.
THe short-term contributions of the Special Issue have been worthwhile, but there remains a continued concern and challenge that with greater attention paid to race and imperialism in IR, these issues will become co-opted into the game of academic production, sanitised as intellectual curiosities, instead of being treated as matters of life and death that need to be opposed practically and not just on paper.
Thai nationalists use the Bowring Treaty as evidence to support a discourse characterising Siam as a victim of British imperialism. Nonetheless, after examining British and Thai primary sources for my MSc dissertation, I have discovered that, without direct British intimidation by gunboat diplomacy, the Siamese court was inclined to sign the Bowring treaty because of … Continued
In this blog summary of a ROAPE journal article, Ben Radley argues that the Democratic Republic of the Congo provides an illustrative case of green imperialism, as large capital and hegemonic powers seek to control and generate profit from Congolese territory and resources under the discursive banner of 'greening' the global economy. The result, Radley […] The post Greening the global economy, undermining prosperity in the Congo appeared first on ROAPE.
Analysing the recent anti-French coups across West Africa, Salvador Ousmane argues that opposition to French imperialism is not a panacea for the region's poverty and crises. Ousmane also argues that calls for a new currency are overstated, and instead urges collective action against the military juntas and old ruling elites across the region by the working poor in their trade unions. The post The West African coups and the CFA franc – anti-French feelings exploited by military juntas appeared first on ROAPE.
Mikayla Tillery reviews Kevin Okoth's Red Africa: Reclaiming Revolutionary Black Politics. She delves into Okoth's incisive critique of Afro-pessimism, Negritude, and the academic misinterpretations of Franz Fanon. Tillery discusses Okoth's arguments against the idea that Marxism is Eurocentric by examining the historical suppression of Marxism in Kenya. She reveals how Okoth highlights the contributions of black revolutionaries and reframes Marxism as a potent force for decolonisation and anti-imperialism. The post Time to reclaim black revolutionary politics appeared first on ROAPE.
South African human rights activist and academic, Salim Vally, discusses the Israel-Palestine conflict, asserting that it originates from 75 years of Israeli settler colonialism and ethnic cleansing. He calls for African support for Palestine against Israel's military-industrial complex, backed by Western imperialism. Vally also criticizes the shifting positions of African countries on the conflict and explores the parallels between the Israeli regime and South African Apartheid. The post Africa's role in Palestinian liberation–an interview with Salim Vally appeared first on ROAPE.
