The following article was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the
Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, August 13th, 2003.
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"Failed states" doctrine (Part 2)
Part 1 of this article published in last week's Guardian (6-8-03) looked
at the concept of "failed states" which is being used by the Australian
Government to defend Australia's intervention in the Solomon Islands.
The second and final part of the article makes the links between failed
states, terrorism, intervention and endless war as they are being used
by Western powers and the role of the people in opposition to their
policies.
by Anna Pha & Peter Symon
According to the British theoreticians the post-modern state, that is,
the developed capitalist countries, have given up their national
sovereignty for international sovereignty and globalisation. It has good
governance, is civilised and pursues WTO and IMF policies. It accepts
interdependence and globalisation with the breakdown of borders and
adoption of universal values.
The post-modern state must open itself up to foreign investment and the
"the interference of international organisations and foreign states
...", says Robert Cooper, advisor to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
(Re-ordering the World p.18)
Having painted a picture of "failed" states that pose a threat to the
orderly, civilised, successful world, the task is for the "civilised"
states to intervene.
If these failed states become too dangerous, "the organised states may
eventually have to respond", says Cooper. He gives Afghanistan as one
such instance.
"What form should intervention take?" Cooper asks and answers his own
question:
"The most logical way to deal with chaos, and the one most often
employed in the past, is colonisation. But colonisation is unacceptable
to post-modern states", he claims. "It is precisely because of the death
of imperialism that we are seeing the emergence of the pre-modern
world." (Re-ordering the World, p.17)
Despite Cooper's reservations, re-colonisation is the course now being
taken by the imperialist powers. They assert that it is the way to
stability and order.
Terrorist threat
Mark Leonard, director of the Foreign Policy Centre, speaks in terms of
"an exciting political project", a "global community project", based on
"the values of liberal democracy". He claims that "11 September [2001]
offers new hope in achieving this".
The September 11 attacks and the Bali bombings are being used
systematically by the leaders of the imperialist countries to argue that
the world faces the threat of "terrorism".
Tony Blair asserts in justification: "In this globalised world, once
chaos and strife have got a grip on a region or a country, trouble is
soon exported. Such regions and countries can become centres for
trafficking in weapons, drugs and people; havens for criminal
organisations; and sanctuaries for terrorists." (Re-ordering the World,
p. 119)
". terrorists are strongest where states are weakest", says Straw.
(Re-ordering the World, p.98)
In today's globalised world says Blair, "tackling terrorism in the USA
means dealing with issues on the ground in the mountains of Afghanistan;
bringing economic security to just one town in northern England means
addressing the international machinery of global finance. The
international has become the domestic and the domestic international."
(Re-ordering the World, p.120)
Old wars and new wars
Having raised the threat of terrorism globally, there is the question of
how to deal with it. "Endless war", of a "new type" is the response.
Old wars were wars between states, "in which the aim is to inflict
maximum damage on an enemy, and in which the decisive encounter is
battle". (Mary Caldor, "The Power of Terror", Re-ordering the World, p.21)
Now, we are told that the key question is internal rather than external
security. Successful states have a responsibility to not only maintain
theirown internal security but to ensure "failed states" are also
internally secure and stable.
They must take pre-emptive action to prevent states failing, to prevent
terrorism and impose universal humanitarian values.
Out with the United Nations
This theory raises the question of the relevance of the United Nations
and international law which govern relations between states, and
proscribe interference in the internal affairs of other nation states.
The idea that it is the responsibility of the UN Security Council to
authorise the use of force has been thrown out by the US, Britain and
the Australian Governments.
"Effective international action often requires leadership - the
willingness of one country, or group of countries, to take primary
responsibility for action", says Professor Malcolm Chalmers, whose
vision is one of shared responsibility with the US, "the ultimate
security guarantor". (Re-ordering the World p.82)
Mary Kaldor argues for an "alternative cosmopolitan politics", one
"based on tolerance and inclusiveness." Ironically, her "alternative
cosmopolitan politics" has to involve "military action in order to
protect civilians and create secure areas where cosmopolitan politics
can develop. But it is military action that is more like law enforcement
than classic war." (Re-ordering the World p.24)
New swing to fascism
Western governments are using these arguments to not only justify wars
and occupations but also to impose fascist-like repressive laws on their
own civilian populations.
In the USA it is the Patriot Act. In Australia it is the ASIO Bills,
which give various agencies the right to incarcerate indefinitely almost
any member of the community. These laws were passed in the name of
anti-terrorism, but their real intention is for use against communists,
trade unionists, peace activists, and the many others who question and
take action against the policies of conservative governments and
transnational corporations.
These policies not only pose a serious threat to the long held
democratic rights to free speech and assembly but also threaten the
concept of elected governments that are open to scrutiny and are
accountable to the people.
".the boundaries between states are of decreasing legal and moral
relevance" , writes Professor David Held, from the London School of
Economics. (Re-ordering the World p.61)
He suggests that the legal power and the powers and functions associated
with a sovereign state are moving beyond national borders, permitting
intervention in the internal affairs of other states, a process well
advanced in the economic sphere by the IMF, WTO and World Bank. Now it
is being extended to the political and military spheres.
Redrawing the map of the world
As quoted earlier, one of the aims is to redraw the map of the world, to
re-carve the territories of the world among the imperialist powers.
There are differences between the European Union and the USA over how it
should be divided and also within their governments, over the strategies
and tactics to be used. Above all, there is serious concern that the
objective of one of the imperialist powers, the United States, world
domination, even overrides the interests of other imperialist powers.
These divisions and emerging tensions may provide opportunities for the
anti-war and anti-globalisation movements to make gains.
Class struggle hidden from view
Besides the labels used to demonise the states of former colonies -
"failed states", "pre-modern states" - language is also manipulated in
order to sell intervention and occupation to the people of the aggressor
nations. Thus we have "security", "national interests", "peace", helping
the people of "failed" state, etc (the Solomon Islands occupation is
titled in pigen "Operation Helpem Fren").
The intention is to not only cover up the real purpose of intervention
but to hide the class nature of the "war on terrorism".
The struggle between labour and capital, between communists and
capitalists, between imperialism and the people is dressed in new clothing.
There are baddies and goodies, but these are not defined in class terms,
although in practice the outcomes are very much along class lines.
Hypocrisy abounds. The demand for "regime change" by whatever means (a
former CIA operative defined "regime change" as assassination) is
dependent on the government's attitude to US and European investors, on
its willingness to privatise government services and banks i.e. the
provision of a stable investment environment for foreign capital.
Likewise the presence of terrorists is not evil when these terrorists
are trained, armed and funded by the US, so long as they are serving the
interests of the US and its closest allies.
It is the politics of the government being targeted that determines
which governments will be toppled, which countries will be invaded.
If a country being targeted is not in chaos, does not already have a law
and order problem or a crisis in government or a despotic dictator at
the helm, then the first step is to create such a situation to justify a
pre-emptive strike and invasion.
This was done, as already mentioned, in Yugoslavia and in Chechnya, is
being arranged in Iran, in Indonesia, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and elsewhere.
Race, religion and nationality are all being used to foster divisions.
The euphemisms abound, twisting the meaning of language on its head, all
part of the attempt to present imperialism as acceptable and humanitarian.
The struggle for sovereignty and independence
As already mentioned, the defeat of fascism in WW2 led to the smashing
of the colonial empires of Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and
Japan. It resulted in the emergence of a number of socialist states.
With the breakup of the Soviet Union and the overthrow of socialist
governments in the USSR and in eastern Europe imperialism was free to
continue its drive to re-colonise the former colonies and to take back
the many economic and political conditions and rights won by the working
class throughout the world.
None-the-less, the socialist example survived and many lessons were
learnt. The Third World countries, comprising those countries that had
been former colonies, resisted the discriminatory policies being foisted
on them by the IMF and the World Bank.
Today Third World countries continue their struggle for economic and
political independence and to overcome the colonial legacy which has had
devastating consequences on their people, economies, culture and
environment.
Today, there is a world-wide anti-globalisation movement which is linked
with the equally strong and active world peace movement.
War is an essential hand-maiden of imperialism and opposition to war is
an essential part of the movement against capitalism and imperialism.
The world has never before witnessed such massive and world-wide
demonstrations as took place against the war on Iraq. Although this
movement, together with the refusal of many countries to bow to the
dictates of the US in the United Nations, did not succeed in stopping
the US, British and Australian aggression, it signalled a new level of
consciousness and determination to act.
There is stubborn opposition among Third World countries to the economic
policies which the developed capitalist countries are attempting to
impose in the World Trade Organisation.
A number of new progressive governments have been elected - in
Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, South Africa, the Democratic People's
Republic of the Congo, Namibia, Cambodia, and in some Indian states, for
example.
These governments face enormous economic and political pressures and
destabilisation by the imperialist powers. Their election shows a new
level of consciousness on the part of the people in these countries.
Despite its military superiority, the US war machine is becoming bogged
down in Iraq as it faces massive rejection on the part of the Iraqi
people who are strongly committed to the independence of their country
and demand that the occupiers get out. Their resistance illustrates the
point that while military technology creates the illusion of limitless
and unstoppable power, people remain decisive.
Another factor is the endemic economic and social crisis of the
developed capitalist countries. And although capitalist states still
control enormous resources and political capital among the people in the
capitalist states, the economic difficulties and the inherent drive of
capitalist employers to intensify the exploitation of the working
people, is driving down living standards and generating resistance.
Furthermore, the social and political policies of the political leaders
in these countries have led to a widespread understanding of their class
commitment to the interests of the transnational corporations. Their
massive lies over the objectives of the war against Iraq are also
becoming a major factor in the disillusionment of many in their
political and moral integrity.
It is on this background of growing opposition that the imperialist
powers are intensifying and speeding up their pre-emptive strikes
against so-called "failed states", using this excuse to re-impose their
colonial domination and occupation of other countries with rich
resources, particularly oil, or which occupy strategic positions, in
their drive for world domination.
However, it is the consciousness of the people and their acts of
opposition that will eventually stop this new imperialist drive to war
and domination in which the sovereignty and independence of other
countries would be destroyed.
It is the millions upon millions of ordinary people who have in their
hands the real security and the real interests of the people of the
whole world.
Reordering the World, edited by Mark Leonard, foreword by Tony Blair,
published by The Foreign Policy Centre, London, 2002.
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