nationalism & imperialism (jim o'connor)

[Barbara Laurence]

Max, I asked the question in the first place because I've met quite a few
radicals who have trouble with the concept that the US is an imperialist
country, which means that its national ideologies of individualism,
self-help, individual autonomy (all a crock, see Chapter 1 of my
Accumulation Crisis book) are used to legitimate its expansionism. At one
time territorial, now of course money and capital, cultural, political,
military. The US justifies its imperialist policies by bedrock beliefs that
Americans hold (or are supposed to hold) about themselves as "Americans."
The US projects its ideologies on to the world, then projects its power to
enforce what it regards as natural law. There's no compromise with this
set-up. You're in or you're out. Like the mob. Normally sensible people get
starry-eyes about "America" beating up some poor unfortunate abroad in the
name of life, liberty and the pursuit of Noreaga.

I have no idea how to break this down, or what might or will break it down.
Problem is of course that the american ideology is the only thing keeping
the country together.

I don't think unions are "nationalistic" unless and until they mobilize
such patriotic sentiments in the name of the American worker. Lots of what
some call nationalism is just good trade unionism.

Note how seemingly impossible it is to break the hold of US nationalist
imperialist ideology. Mere facts won't do it. Even the US can't project
power around the globe any time it wishes, but military and foreign policy
failures never seem to make much difference for the ways Americans think
about themselves. For me, the most dangerous fact about America is that its
people never went throught a period of shame for slavery, Native American
geonocide, Vietnam, and half a dozen other things. Thus the country will
support just about any crackpot policy and action, overseas, even the most
bizzare and cruel, sadistic, policy in Iraq today.

Yours,
Jim O'C