When Empires Fade
[col. writ. 5/21/08] (c) '08 Mumia Abu-Jamal

Two things brought me to this topic; the fading of empires.

First, reading an article on the heyday of the British Empire, and their efforts to suppress popular resistance to their rule in parts of Asia; and secondly, the reception of US President George W. Bush, when he recently ventured to the Middle East in search of lower oil prices and relevancy.

Both were eye-opening.

The former for what it revealed about the lengths to which empires will go to hold on to power; the latter for how quickly power and influence can slip away.

Ostensibly, an American President is a kind of temporary global monarch, for his (?) power is so vast that, as Iraq showed, whole societies can be upended, their lives, economy, politics and culture shattered-quite literally, on one person's whim.

Yet, as we've also seen, that power is not absolute, and can be challenged by the most unlikely of opponents.

It has costs, some of which are the precipitous decline in Bush's popularity, and the corresponding fall in American prestige.

One instance was when Bush begged the Saudis for a break in oil prices and a loosening in supplies. The Saudi princes coolly declined his requests; nothing personal - it's just business.

Then the president was scheduled to meet with Lebanon's embattled Prime Minister, Fuad Saniora, but Saniora called to cancel the meeting. He apparently had a more important meeting planned with high-ranking members of Hezbollah.

Such sights aren't seen everyday. They are markers of how the US is seen -often by it's 'friends'!

Egyptian journalist Hisham Qassem observed, on the latest Bush visit and his reception, "It was clear that America is neither loved nor feared," a remarkable statement that would've hardly been heard some 8 years ago. *

When the British Empire was trying to hold on to its imperial properties in Asia, it formed treacherous military units called the Special Operation Volunteer force (SOVF) in Malaysia, composed of ex-communists who hunted down their former comrades and butchered them for bucks.

After their dirty deeds, they were paid blood money, their crimes were written off the books, they were given false identities, and they were released into Malaysian society, some doubtless forming criminal networks.

The US performed similar tricks during Operation Phoenix in Vietnam during the war. Few of us know, even now, the full dimensions of Operation Phoenix and how it ravaged Vietnamese society. We know, of course, how the Vietnam War turned out.

If these events tell us anything, it is that empires are capable of immense violence, but there comes a time when even their influence fades.

No empire can last forever.

I think we are witnessing the fading of this one.

--(c) '08 maj

/[*Sources: Levinson, Charles, "Bush's Mideast words go over hot, cold: Trip ends in Egypt with a bit of a thud, analysts say, "USA Today, Mon., May 19, 2008, p.6A.; Williams, Gwydion M., "Notes On the News". Labour & Trade Union Review. (No. 180: March 2008) pp.13-14; (//www.ltureview.com/ <http://www.ltureview.com>/) ]/

not wishing bad or the downfall of anybody, but i agree completely. it goes without saying that this is a matter of choice. people chose to live this way knowing full well there are consequences, wise enough to see the truth that no nation needs to be built on the suffering of other folk. it just isn't necesary...

the signs are clearly there that the western empire is falling. it is just a matter of time before it becomes apparent, and in this i celebrate freedom.

just read an article online describing how Wal-Mart, MacDonald’s, and other western capitalism driven corporations, are friggin laughing stocks in China's economic region, forgot the name. they have literary been beaten at their own game, and will have to get their act together or, more than likely considering the western faith in the same old wiles, close shop soon.

goes a long way to show how much things are changing.

Have seen it, the Chinese are a smart bunch, they've stayed one step ahead of the west since their colonial exploits they really are model for what Africa can achive and provide a blueprint on how.

What ever trade the west sent toward China the chinese/easterners made sure that they took it apart and improved on it in some way or another so the trade with them soon became one sided even today they're still at it, if you get the chance watch that Paul Merton in China documentory, think its in there, they have a chinese version of macdonalds, a literal slap in the face they've taken the red and yellow trademark and basic design but they sell strictly chinese fast food, they've got walmarts products lined up for the dustbins because they've ensured that their cultural values stay at the forefront even if it means copying them but making slight changes to the design... its definitely ''Paul Merton in china'' you have to watch it and see what they've got going on, its classic... even in other places in the east government or local leaders have it that all building designs must be traditional so they have their old school way of doing things updated to modern times places where they have to go and learn traditional building design so they can continue to develop along those lines... the region I'm talking about even went so far as to decree that everyone wear traditional clothing, you're not allowed to wear jeans t-shirts and all that non sense they made it a law that you have to wear traditional clothing much like the Arabs with their hijabs again ensuring that people go to clothing factories to buy the clothes and stick with the design, upgrading their culture rather than fall for any false ideas of, ''modernism'' knowing that it would bring westernization, western culture along with it.

Ultimately they recognize that the wests ''I want it all'' culture as a tactical coercive weapon for economic exploitation, hoisted up their great firewall of china and are sticking to their brand of defense rather than have their country swarmed with foreign goods ensuring a demand for traditional norms to further drive the market and economy... even if it means ripping off ideas and making slight improvements here and there.

...I mean it makes perfect sense but the way they've gone about it is worth a round of applause it really is.

do you see any truth in the proposition that Capitalism (the growth economy ) is just another name for expressed western cultural values and norms, or western culture, in short, rather than an economic imperative?

my question is simplistic, but the author of this article i read on the net was dynamic. i cannot find the article to link to, but it is food for much thought.

Its an aggressive economic imperative, the chinese will soon be exporting their own version of it.

What man invents he gives to mankind, be that technology, weaponry, societal systems what ever, unless you keep it in a safe somewhere and don't use it it will fall into the hands of others.