Theorizing the American Empire: Life with a Bengal Tiger

1
Theorizing the American Empire Life with a
Bengal Tiger

• Hans N. Weiler
• Stanford University
• Third Byblos Autumn School, September 2005

2

3
Prelude

• Jefferson and the historic mission of the
  American empire
  
• May (this decision) be to the world, what I
  believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to some
  parts later, but finally to all), the signal of
  arousing men to burst the chains under which
  monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded
  them to bind themselves, and to assume the
  blessings and security of self-government.
  (1826)

4
The legacy of American exceptionalism

• The New England settlers as the chosen people
• America as the new Zion, the shining city on
  the hill, the Novus Ordo Seclorum
  
• Jedidiah Morse (1792), Albert Beveridge (ca.
  1900)
  
• Wehler a hinge joining Calvinist predestination
  with secular Messianism

5
Debating the notion of American empire

• Staunchly advocating the notion of American
  empire Neo-cons and their intellectual brethren
  
• The moderate critics Theories of ambivalence
  about empire
  
• Constructing alternative theories
  Institutionalism and multi-polarity
  
• The Skeptics Rejecting the notion of American
  empire

6
Staunchly advocating the notion of American empire

• Robert Kagan
• Michael Mandelbaum
• Et al. Max Boot, Niall Ferguson, Richard Perle

7
The moderate critics Theories of ambivalence
about empire

• Michael Ignatieff Empire Lite
• Ulrich Wehler The informal empire
• Josef Joffe The empire in need of help

8
Constructing alternative theories
Institutionalism, multi-polarity, sovereignty,
democracy

• Joseph Nye Hard and soft power
• Robert Keohane After Hegemony
• Charles Kupchan Multipolar worlds
• Stephen Krasner Crises of sovereignty
• Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri Empire and the
  multitude
  
• Jennifer Pitts and Sankar Muthu Liberalisms
  ambiguous dance with empire

9
The Skeptics Rejecting the notion of American
empire

• Andrew Bacevich Perverted American militarism
• David Rieff Fantasies about empire
• Emmanuel Todd Too weak for empire
• Harald Müller Confrontative hegemony
• Rashid Khalidi Limitations of raw power

10
Back to the lifeboat
11
Questions for discussion (1)

• 1. How helpful is Nyes distinction between
  hard and soft power in understanding the role
  of the United States in world politics?
  
• 2. A number of authors emphasize the role of
  developments in information and communi-cation
  technology in shaping the future of
  inter-national relations. Do you find this view
  per-suasive, and what is in your opinion the role
  of information technology in the future of
  international relations?

12
Questions for discussion (2)

• 3. What is the empirical evidence for the
  emergence of a multi-polar world system, and how
  compelling and solid is it?
  
• 4. How critical is military strength in
  sustaining U.S. influence in world politics, as
  compared to economic strength, moral integrity,
  or diplomatic skill?

13
Questions for discussion (3)

• 5. How valid is the argument that a functioning
  U.S. hegemony is needed in order to effectively
  deal with humanitarian crises (à la Liberia,
  Kosovo, Zimbabwe)? If the argument is not valid,
  how do you propose that humanitarian crises
  should be effectively handled?

14
Questions for discussion (4)

• 6. A hegemon, by definition, needs no democratic
  legitimation beyond the means (military,
  economic) to sustain his hegemony. How would a
  non-hegemonic world system managed by, for
  example, international organizations establish
  and sustain its legitimacy? Does Hardts and
  Negris notion of multitude (2004) solve that
  problem?

15
Questions for discussion (5)

• 7. There are widely contrasting statements in the
  literature on the role of the United States in
  the world. E. Todd considers the U.S. a
  superpower that has become economically dependent
  and politically redundant (2004, 31). Michael
  Ignatieff argues, with a view to the U.S. and
  problems of failed states nobody likes
  empires, but there are some problems for which
  there are only imperial solutions (2003, 11).
  Who is (more) right?

16
Questions for discussion (6)

• 8. Charles Kupchan sees a connection between the
  end of American primacy in the world and the
  end of a particular historical epoch that of
  industrial capitalism, liberal democracy, and the
  nation state (2002, 35). Do you agree?
• 9. Is transnational interdependence (Nye) a
  viable alternative to hegemony, American or
  otherwise?

17
Email weiler_at_stanford.eduwww.stanford.edu/peopl
e/weiler