Linking the Struggle against Imperialism to the Creation of a Better and Safer World

The struggle against imperialism is a very relevant and important part of the efforts to create a world based on justice and equality, peace, protection of environment and biodiversity ( in short JEPP).

There can be several problems regarding the way in which the existing system of nation-states emerged and its basis, but as long as it exists (in place of the concept of a single united world in which all people have the same rights and are considered entirely equal in all respects), all nations should work under an international system of equality that provides them equal opportunities for their development. In fact those countries which suffered under colonial exploitation for centuries need to get some extra advantages, but even if this does not happen, they should at least get equality.

Unfortunately this has not happened, and the USA with the help of former leading colonial powers and close allies has systematically tried to create a very different system which while being different from the old colonial system, follows the same old thinking of most resources of the world being used first and foremost for the elites of a few favored countries led by the USA, this unjust arrangement being secured by investment, trade, financial and other arrangements at the initial level but finally also by a system of various coercions, sanctions, regime changes and wars. This can only be achieved in a system of military and weapons dominance, and so the development and accumulation of most destructive weapons becomes an integral part of this system.

Forever wars are the most destructive aspect of this system. However there are other less obvious but nevertheless highly harmful aspects. The entire food and farming system is sought to be changed to create a situation in which a few multinational companies control everything from seeds to farming to trade, in turn dominated by GM crop technologies which are favored despite being highly hazardous due to being more easily controlled and manipulated by big business interests. Similarly medical technologies are manipulated to not just increase the profits and control of multinational companies, but also to use such control for wider curbs and disruptions whenever required by powerful interests. Communication and media technologies and systems are also being changed and controlled to increase the possibilities of mass deception and manipulation, and surveillance technologies are increasingly developed and used in highly questionable ways.

While all this would be increasingly unethical and harmful at any given time , this becomes even more so at a time when a number of serious environmental problems are endangering the safety of future generations, requiring the close cooperation of all people of all nations for urgent remedial planning and actions.

In fact under the baneful influence of imperialism, even the agenda of environment protection becomes so highly distorted that it is linked more and more to the agenda of extending big business interests (for example promoting GM crops and technologies in the name of reducing climate change risks which is a completely false claim).

Hence while the more visibly destructive face of imperialism is in the context of forever wars and the arms race, it also seeks to change our daily life relating to food, health, communication etc. in ways that will be extremely harmful for people, including children and the next generations.

Hence imperialism in all its manifestations and impacts must be resisted in non-violent and peaceful ways. When it is said USA and its closest allies should be resisted, this means of course that their dominating elites should be resisted, not ordinary people. All ordinary people of all countries are friends of each other.

Complex issues are involved and the secretive manipulations of imperialism are best resisted by peaceful movements which work in transparent ways. Even the limited democratic freedoms still available for such efforts are fast receding, so now is the time for making the best possible efforts with very broad-based unity.

While this involves exposing the many sided harmful and destructive aspects of imperialism, this also involves the highly creative task of what a different, safer, peaceful and more sustainable world, with much improved and happier social relationships will look like.

What is the alternative world we have in mind, even as we oppose imperialism and the worldview it seeks to represent and spread? This is a very important aspect of the anti-imperialism struggle, but unfortunately it is at this stage that the struggle becomes divided and hence weaker.

While there is broad unity and agreement in the anti-imperialism movement that the USA with its close allies represents the main force of imperialism today and its forever wars to advance its interests and even prevent the emergence of any rivals is the biggest threat to world peace, welfare and safety, there is disagreement regarding the alternatives. One part of the anti-imperialism movement represents USA’s rivals particularly China as being close to the ideal and all sorts of imaginary virtues are identified with China’s model of development, or its relationships with other countries. This is not justified, as China has achieved its fast growth during a certain phase under the same capitalist-imperialist system by carving out a certain niche or special place in the same system as a leading industrial power.  Its achievements should be neither underestimated nor overestimated. It is neither a great hero nor a villain. Going back to its earlier phase, if the communist revolution gave better opportunities to millions of the poorer and deprived people, the authoritarian system also led to the painful death of millions of innocent people during the phases of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Millions have also died in the genocidal actions of foreign regimes firmly supported by China. Dominated largely by one party rule and with authoritarian trends still prevailing, China is also increasingly assertive in seeking resource base including land of other countries which have their own food and other problems to deal with.

Of course if China is unfairly encircled and threatened by the USA and its allies, we should speak for peace and safety of the people of China. However at the same time if China is unfairly aggressive against its neighbors and others, we should speak against this also.

However the section of the anti-imperialism movement which regards China its ideal refuses generally to speak against any wrongs committed by China, thereby weakening the ethical and moral force of the anti-imperialism movement.

The anti-imperialism movement can progress best only on the basis of a strong ethical base, and this base is being eroded and diminished by linking the anti-imperialism movement closely to China.

In an earlier phase of history, a similar big mistake was made by the anti-imperialism movement being linked closely to the Soviet Union. This was harmful for the anti-imperialism movement and its credibility was eroded as it could not present critiques of wrong actions and development choices of the Soviet Union at the right time.

Now in the present phase a similar mistake is made by the anti-imperialism movement by finding imaginary virtues in the Chinese model of growth and development, including relations with other countries. As in the past, such a tendency will weaken the ethical strength of the anti-imperialism movement, stopping its spontaneous growth among all people and particularly the youth, instead making it appear more like a captive movement.

The way forward is to look at the question of alternative society and economy in very creative ways, and creativity comes from freedom and not from being captive.

There can be broad agreement that the new world must be created on the basis of justice and equality, peace, protection of environment and biodiversity. A very high priority should be given to protecting essential life-sustaining conditions of earth, within a framework of justice, peace and democracy.

There must be much closer and affectionate relationships at family and community levels, which gives people the strength to work for creating a better world even in very difficult conditions. Happiness is to be derived more from creativity and social relationships than from material possessions, thereby creating a work based not on greed and the accompanying ecological ruin, but instead on affectionate relationships and people working for social good in very creative ways. This, or something like this, can be a very broad understanding to start with, and the various details and local contexts can be worked out by people.

One hopes that the already limited and diminishing spaces for such efforts will continue to exist. Within the anti-imperialism movement there has been an unfortunate tendency for the more resourceful sections working with China as an ideal to push back the more independent voices, and one hopes that such trends will also decrease.

One hopes that both aspects of the anti-imperialism movement (the non-violent and peaceful, increasingly broad-based and united opposition of the present-day main imperialist forces on the on hand and the emergence of very creative and credible alternatives on the other hand) will continue to progress together at a time when these are really needed.

Bharat Dogra is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Protecting Earth for Children, Planet in Peril, A Day in 2071 and India’s Quest for Sustainable Farming and Healthy Food.