Economy and Empire

The logic of the sovereign decision and the fantasy of ‘full spectrum dominance’ explored in the last two chapters have once again put national actors centre stage. This is at a time when the discourse of globalization, while not ignoring the continuing role of nation states has nevertheless understood global governance in increasingly transnational terms. The capacity for transnational economic institutions such as the IMF, World Bank and WTO to undermine local sovereignty by compelling nations to open their borders, resources and services to the movement of capital has lead many commentators to speak of a capitalist empire. Alternatively, the declaration in 2001 of an infinite war against terror and a global state of emergency to be policed by the US has lead others to renew the older discourses of state-centred imperialism formerly thought to be obsolete. For many the policy of ‘pre-emptive defence’ that emerged as Washington’s response to the destruction of the World Trade Center was evidence that the US was prepared to pursue its interests wherever and in whatever form it wished. It also demonstrated a willingness to act unilaterally that raised numerous questions about the logic of sovereignty that had mediated international relations since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. It is thus possible to see 11 September 2001 as ‘an exemplar of the historical event as disruption and dislocation’ (Venn, 2002: 121), given that it seemingly demands a reassessment of sovereignty at the national, international and transnational levels. When Donald Rumsfeld (2001) tells us to ‘forget exit strategies, we’re looking at a sustained engagement that carries no deadlines’, what can the war against terror and the invasions of Afghanistan, Iraq and the anticipated bombing of Iran tell us about this possible tripartite division in sovereignty. Also, how does the state-centred war against terror and the anabolic militarism of the US fit within the broader economic war that is the global implementation of the ‘freemarket’?