The prevailing modern world system, which took over half a millennium to reach its current status, has always been saddled with protracted problems ever since its very inception. Among the obvious perennial conundrums, we can mention the continuous polarization amongst nation-states and its corollary–the fledging inequality within nation-states. At the global level, consequences of these operational doctrines are unfolding rather robustly. New forms of resistance that were not anticipated by the rulers of the global order are coming to the fore. For instance, the current global political chaos that emanates from the underlying fallacious dogmas of empire, such as ‘national interest’, and making ‘the world safer for democracy’ etc., are being boldly challenged by non-state actors!
Non-state actors challenging the orthodoxy of global dominant interests have become resourceful and determined in their mission to undermine the lopsided political economy of the world system. The reasons why many of these movements take violent routes is understandable, though some of their actions cannot be condoned. The increased viciousness of the formal states, steered by the now infamous ‘deep state’, is one of the major reasons propelling non-state actors to take up arms! This is clearly visible in the Middle East. A significant portion of the population in MENA (Middle East and North Africa) feels their elites have let them down. To keep on relying on these same elites for salvation is not a project worth pursuing, the populous has surmised. In the process of this protracted struggle many of these movements have developed significant capacity to inflict damage to the well-armed nation states of the region. In this regard, the various Yemeni resistance movements deserve mentioning. The older ones of the Levant: Hezbollah, Al Qaida + affiliates, Islamist Jihad, etc. are already known to many. Coming home to our continent, the destabilization of Libya has given rise to various factions, i.e., non-states actors within the country. These groups are now vying to consolidate power with a view to take over the state. Be that as it may, given the interests of the global power that be, (the very initiators of the chaos) situations might not turn out in favor of the Libyan sheeple (human mass)!
The project to destabilize Syria seems to be on the wane, thanks to concerted efforts by regional and ascending global powers. After the destruction of Libya, China and Russia just refused to go along with NATO’s dismembering ambition of Syria. As a result, there is now a glimpse of peace in that unfortunate country. As we have stated above, the bosses of the world system do not really care about the majority of the inhabitants of the planet. Empire’s major concern is to make sure it (USA, EU and Japan) controls, directly/indirectly, all the resources of the planet.
One need not go back further than the 20th century to reflect on the embedded violence of the world system. WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the various small wars, are clear proof of the system’s violent nature. Empire’s current project, particularly that of the hegemon’s, is to undermine ascending powers by any means necessary (Russia, China, Iran, etc.) Obviously, this strategy can potentially cause immense destruction to the current human ‘civilization’. Here is an extract from ‘War is a Racket’, a lesson from an individual who was very much in the thickest of it all!
“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.
Beautiful ideals were painted for our boys who were sent out to die. The was the ‘war to end wars.’ This was the ‘war to make the world safe for democracy.’ No one told them that dollars and cents were the real reason. No one mentioned to them, as they marched away, that their going and their dying would mean huge war profits. No one told these American soldiers that they might be shot down by bullets made by their own brothers here. No one told them that the ships on which they were going to cross might be torpedoed by submarines built with United State patents. They were just told it was to be a ‘glorious adventure.’ Thus, having stuffed patriotism down their throats, it was decided to make them help pay for the war, too. So, we gave them the large salary of $30 a month!
All that they had to do for this munificent sum was to leave their dear ones behind, give up their jobs, lie in swampy trenches, eat canned willy (when they could get it) and kill and kill and kill…and be killed”
WAR is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the losses in lives.
To summarize: Three steps must be taken to smash the war racket. 1. We must take the profit out of war. 2. We must permit the youth of the land who would bear arms to decide whether or not there should be war. 3. We must limit our military forces to home defense purposes.”
Major General Smedley D. Butler, “War is a Racket”: The Antiwar Classic, by America’s Most Decorated Soldier (1935). Good Day!