Alex Callinicos is professor of Politics at the University of York and also a member of the Central Committee of Socialist Workers Party and Professor of European Studies at Kings College London. His publications include Trotskyism (1990), The Revolutionary Ideas of Karl Marx (1999), New Mandarins of American Power (2001), Anti-capitalist manifesto (2003). The fact that his field of expertise is politics and international relations might make his analyzes of the American politics and decision makers more reliable. Nevertheless his Marxist orientation makes his critique of the American capitalism to some extent biased.
As the name of the book shows this book is about new players of the American scenario for the world including US itself. Callinicos models his book on Noam Chomsky's American Power and the New Mandarins (1969). Chomsky's book was an intensive critique of the mainstream, liberal intellectuals named the "new mandarins", who provided the ideological cover for the Vietnam War. But the main Callinicos' concern is war in Iraq, not the Vietnam War. The mandarins that Callinicos discusses are not the liberal apologists for imperialism. They are the group of right-wing Republicans (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, Perle, etc.) who run the US government.
This book offers a critical analysis of the global strategy pursued by the Bush administration since 11 September 2001 and it interestingly starts not from its first page but from its cover. The photo on the cover of the book showing American leadership in a hierarchical form (from the left to right: George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney; Secretary of State Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice) who have been members of the war council connotes that US is directed by these figures. Place of the session (White House, Washington) and also its date (April 2003) is so meaningful for the reader who looks at the book more precisely. This cover illustrate that new mandarins of American power who are designing the global scene according the pattern of exercising this power, are these four figures.
Conquest of Iraq
Conquest of Iraq and removal of Saddam Hussein by the American and British troops is fair to call a new type of imperial expansionism by the world power in a new form. This kind of expansionism, created the fear of the United States under George W. Bush that was determined to use the military might of the Pentagon to impose its will.
In his book, Alex Callinicos tries to explore the real meaning of the Bush Doctrine by focusing on the rhetorical justifications of the 'war on terrorism' and analyses the strategy of the Republican neoconservatives who now dominate American foreign policy and their main target is to use US military supremacy to impose their will upon the opposing countries and also their competitors (Germany, France, Russia and China) behind the 'war on terrorism' project. The Bush's administration's decision makers and ruling class has designed a "grand strategy" that includes facing down rivals, reordering the Middle East, removing the threat of terrorist attack, ensuring their oil supplies, and so on.
In renewal of the 20th century domination of capitalist imperialism that was well-known as American century, Callinicos argues these neoconservative mandarins seek a 'Project for the New American Century' to perpetuate the global domination of US-style neo-liberalism. Callinicos through a Marxist perspective looks at the American contemporary political history of imperialism and warns about quasi-religious overtones that "Nemesis awaits the 'democratic imperialists' in the Pentagon... The only question concerns the form that retribution will take".
In comparison between US today and British Empire of the 19th century, Callinicos concludes that because of the development of technology and communicational means the current situation is different from that situation. Multinationals, trade patterns and other forms of interdependence makes the current situation very different. On the one hand the US is a "hyper-power" presiding over an "imperialism of free trade", but then again the US is in economic decline and democracy is difficult to distinguish from the "older forms of colonialism".
By emphasizing on the geo-strategy of Bush's administration, Callinicos argues that this strategy has in its sights the major rivals of the United States and "the underlying tensions burst to the surface" over Iraq.
Looking throughout a Marxist theory of imperialism, he believes that imperialism is based on the development of the capitalist mode of production. "Its central claim was that, in unifying the world, capitalism created a highly unequal world dominated by a handful of Great Powers that competed both economically and militarily. He says this "Marxist" theory is superior because it treats "the diplomatic and military conflicts among states as instances of the more general process of competition that drives capitalism". The Bolsheviks recognized that "in the course of the nineteenth century two hitherto relatively autonomous processes - the geopolitical rivalries among states and economic competition between capitals - increasingly fused. "According to the discussion of the Callinicos, the Republican "new mandarins" are realistic, hard-nosed ideological class warriors for their own bourgeoisie. He demonstrates that the Bush doctrine is connected with the spread of neo-liberalism which focuses on the democracy promotion around the world and global capital. The US has supported many past dictators--including Saddam Hussein--and continues to do so where it wants to protect its economic interests. So the Karimov regime in Uzbekistan was the lucky recipient of $189 million US aid in 2002 despite interning up to 7,000 political prisoners, practicing torture and rigging trials. Callinicos also shows the connection between free market 'democracy' and privatization, and quotes Arundhati Roy as saying, 'Democracy has become Empire's euphemism for neo-liberal capitalism'.
In chapter 1 the author mentioned that George W. Bush after 11 September proclaimed itself to be at war. Secondly the administration defined this war in Manichean terms: 'This will be a monumental struggle between good and evil,' said George W. Bush on 12 September 2001. Terrorism and 'war on terror' was his justifications for this war. Calling Iran, Iraq and North Korea as 'axis of evil' reminded implicitly the Axis that bound together Germany, Japan and Italy during the Second World War. Destroying the Weapon of Mass Destruction and Democracy promotion were the causes of this definition.
Chapter 2, 'The cultists of eternal war', explaining the Bush's doctrines of pre-emptive acts against the countries that he claimed are supportive of terrorism.
In chapter 3 which name is 'The grand strategy of the American empire' and has three parts , Callinicos considered American foreign policy during the post cold war era and explains the usages of American military power at this era that in some of them US had to confront European countries.
'The geopolitics of oil' that is topic of the chapter 4, implies the subject of discussion of the chapter. This chapter is a documented repetition of the claims of Anti-American intellectuals, politicians and associations that believe energy resources are the main causes of American war specifically its war in Iraq. For them domination upon the Iraq's oil have been the real motive for Americans to wage another war on terrorism.
In chapter 5 with topic of 'Collision of Empires', Callinicos discusses the main feature of American empire in comparison with the ancient and also new empires and different kinds of imperialisms and colonialisms that have been exercised by the global power..
All in all, this book is a qualified book for the students and even professors whose field of study is American politics and foreign policy. For the students of American Studies, this is very helpful book to understand the logic of American politicians and decision makers that play a great role id the global scene to form world order in favor of American interests.
Noam Chomsky's opinion about this book is completely indicative to see the value of Callinicos book: 'Deeply informed, balanced, and full of insights, this perspective inquiry explores the rational basis for the aggressive unilateralism of the Bush administration that has frightened much of the world, arguing plausibly that it "is based on a largely accurate reading of the long-term economic and geopolitical threats facing US capitalism". It more than fulfills its goal of contributing to "an understanding of the strange and frightening world" that is taking shape.'
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