Hardt & Negri's *Empire*

[GGordonLippy at aol.com]

I was hoping for a less underwhelming response to my solicitation for 
comments on this fascinating new book. So, maybe a question to get the ball 
rolling: Are we in a transition from a world order of nation states 
regulating the world economy to one that's characterized by business power, 
freed from national governance, dictating policy to its subordinate states? 
(e.g. WTO superseding national environmental regulations; corporations suing 
localities and states for "restraint" of trade under WTO agreements, or 
NAFTA). My own response is a clear yes; old analyses of imperialism are, have 
long been, inadequate. This transition isn't complete, but I agree with H&N 
that its' irreversible.  So my question (and one of the opening questions of 
the book) is, what is the *nature* (or *constitution*) of this new order? How 
are we to grasp it POLITICALLY? How do we think beyond the "TINA" response 
and articulate a politics of liberation vis a vis the oppressive regimes of 
globalization?