Pierre Jalée ’s Imperialism in the Seventies (New York: The Third Press , 1973 ) which contained a brilliant introduction by Harry Magdoff . Harry ’ s cautionary words three decades ago resonate even more loudly today: The major obstacle to such enlightenment is the pervasiveness of the ideological rationalization for imperialism. The extent of this pervasiveness is not easy to perceive because such rationalization is deep- seated . Its roots are intertwined with the accepted , conventional modes of thought and the consciousness of a people . Thus , they are located in the false patriotism and racism that sink deeply and imperceptibly into the individual ’s sub- conscious; in the traditions , values , and even aesthetics of the cultural environment —an environment evolved over centuries during which self - designated “ superior” cultures assumed the right to penetrate and dominate “inferior” cultures . These roots are also buried in the sophisticated theorems of both liberal and conservative economics , sociology , political science, anthropology, and history . For these reasons , citizens of an imperialist country who wish to understand imperialism must first emancipate themselves from the seemingly endless web of threads that bind them emotionally and intellectually to the imperialist condition. This , I believe , is the most important task for the antiwar and social justice movements in the United States today—to assume the responsibility of being citizens of an empire that must be dismantled.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00:13 +0000
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