Empire, nationalism, etc.

Doug Henwood dhenwood at panix.com
Mon Jun 4 12:29:34 PDT 2001


Patrick Bond, you around?

I saw you saying elsewhere that Hardt & Negri underestimate the progressive potential of the nation-state. Has the rather bad experience of the ANC in South Africa caused you to rethink this position? I see at least two specific problems of broader theoretical/strategic interest: 1) a poor, lightly industrialized country doesn't have much scope to act on its own, leaving it extremely vulnerable to external pressure, and the temptations of World Bank loans; and 2) the rhetoric of nationalism can calm popular aspirations for more substantive radical change by emotional appeals to independence, sovereignty, national pride, etc., which make excellent cover for a sellout.

Doesn't the fact that one of the most admirable national revolutionary movements in modern times, the ANC, ended up as loyal servants of capital, give you pause?

Doug



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