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Globalisation, Democracy and Terrorism |
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reviewed by Kaitlin MacKenzie |
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Author: Eric Hobsbawm |
ISBN:
978-0-316-02782-3 |
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Publisher:
Little, Brown |
Page:
184 |
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Type:
Hardcover |
Price:
£ 17.99 |
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Review: |
Eric Hobsbawm, the eminent British Marxist historian, has witnessed the majority of the twentieth century. Now in his tenth decade, Hobsbawm has observed the ebb and flow of history, the rise and fall of empires, and shifting political ideologies. In Globalisation, Democracy and Terrorism Hobsbawm looks back on the events of the twentieth century that he finds relevant to the situations and problems we face at the beginning of the twenty-first century, questioning how we should view the past "age of extremes." This collection of essays is composed of previously written pieces as well as lectures, mostly given after 2001, and is intended to supplement his existing oeuvre, particularly The Age of Extremes and Nations and Nationalism. Thus, as the material in each chapter was originally intended to stand on its own, there inevitably occur some redundancies, an issue which the author candidly acknowledges in the Preface. Nevertheless, taken at face value, this compilation serves as an interesting introduction to Hobsbawm's views.
Hobsbawm focuses on five major themes, which he argues are key to understanding the legacy of the twentieth century: war and peace, hegemony and empire building, the shifting nature of nationalism, the future of democracy, and political violence and terrorism. He argues that these five issues occur in a wider context heavily influenced by globalization and increasing technological and economic activity. Following the standard leftist critique, Hobsbawm argues that globalization is responsible for the dramatic increase in economic and social inequality; this disparity is the root of the social and political tensions plaguing the world today. Furthermore, globalization has the greatest impact on those who receive the least benefit from it. In light of these issues, Hobsbawm believes that immigration troubles and protectionist policies will become more prevalent in the years to come.
The first theme, war and peace, is highlighted in chapters one and two -War and Peace in the Twentieth Century and War, Peace and Hegemony at the Beginning of the Twenty-First Century- which were originally based on a 2001 paper written in commemoration of the Centenary of the Nobel Peace Prize and a 2004 lecture given in Delhi, respectively. The twentieth century was one of the bloodiest in history, with wars accounting for an estimated 187 million deaths. Hobsbawm notes the characteristics of twentieth century warfare as being dominated by inter-state conflicts (the World Wars, clashes in the Middle East and south and south-east Asia, to name but a few) and as being conducted by armed forces, rather than engaging civilians. As the century progressed, however, the line between inter- and intra-state conflicts grew increasingly thin, as did the gap between combatant and non-combatant involvement. Similarly, the distinction even between war and peace has been continuously eroded: while conflicts in the past were marked at the beginning by an official declaration of war and at the end by a peace treaty, these traditional demarcations have been obfuscated by the rise of small group insurgencies. Regarding the twenty-first century, the author believes that future conflicts will result in fewer deaths, but disproportionate suffering (case in point: Iraq).
The second theme, hegemony and empire building, is also covered in chapter two, and continues throughout chapters three and four -Why American Hegemony Differs from Britain's Empire and On the End of Empires- both of which originated as speeches in 2005 and 2004. Hobsbawm is greatly dismayed and perplexed by the U.S.' illogical desire for hegemony. Prior to the presidency of George W. Bush, U.S. politicians and policy-makers went to great lengths to disguise their country's hegemonic status, mainly through soft power. The author fails to understand why Bush turned from this established position in favor of the Sisyphean (and misguided) pursuit of "world domination"Â which laid waste to U.S. supremacy and stripped it of its soft power. Hobsbawm says, in chapter two, that "the best other states can do is to demonstrate the isolation, and therefore the limits, of U.S. world power by refusing, firmly but politely, to join further initiatives proposed by Washington that might lead to military action, particularly in the Middle East and eastern Asia" (48).
The third theme is nationalism and is discussed in chapter five, Nations and Nationalism in the New Century, a much-elaborated version of a preface written for the author's abovementioned book, Nations and Nationalism (2004). As previously mentioned, the author argues that globalization has significantly impacted the movement of people, with large numbers migrating from poor to rich countries. This influx of workers has led to the rise of xenophobia, which is "naturally explosive, particularly in ethnically, confessionally and culturally homogeneous countries and regions unused to major influxes of strangers" (89). Additionally, in the aftermath of the Cold War, a massive supply of weapons was left behind, which allowed a multitude of non-state groups to arm themselves - this has resulted in a wave of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Fourth, Hobsbawm discusses democracy. Chapters six and seven, The Prospects of Democracy and Spreading Democracy, originally appeared as a 2000 lecture and a 2004 article in Foreign Policy. He makes clear his skepticism for democracy early on, stating that "More nonsense and meaningless blather is talked in Western public discourse today about democracy, and specifically about the miraculous qualities assigned to governments elected by arithmetical majorities of voters choosing between rival parties, than about almost any other word or political concept" (5). While intensely critical of liberal democracy, the author refrains from offering any alternatives. He is particularly opposed to democracy's link to human rights and its use as areason for intervention in undemocratic regimes, pointing to the U.S.' forays into Iraq and Afghanistan as examples.
The fifth and final theme is that of terrorism, or political violence, and is discussed in chapters eight and nine: Terror and Public Order in an Age of Violence. Hobsbawm argues that while terrorism may become the defining characteristic of the twenty-first century state, it is neither a new concept nor a real threat to powerful societies, unless the terrorist organizations were to acquire nuclear weapons. Scathingly critical of the "war on terror," he contends that the oft-cited "threat" of terrorism is but a political tool used to drum up support for an administration's policies, and that the government's counterterrorism measures are in fact a greater threat to global stability.
Although Hobsbawm acknowledges that some repetition occurs from chapter to chapter, the reiteration of the same talking points becomes rather tiring. And, while his magisterial perspective generally gives coherence between chapters, he does contradict himself from time to time, for example with placing blame for the rise of the neoconservatives. Furthermore, he seems to view the Bush years as a permanent shift in U.S. policy and does not consider the idea that this period might only be a deviation from standard policy. While this collection of essays provides a basic introductory overview of Hobsbawm's ideas, the arguments seem rather stale and perhaps would have benefitted from a bit more polishing or retouching before publication.
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about book: |
In this collection of illuminating, incisive and thought-provoking essays, Eric Hobsbawm examines every aspect of the issues that have inspired the greatest debate - not only among politicians, academics and commentators but among all of us - in recent years: that is, the effects of globalisation, the plight of democracy and the threat of terrorism. As we are only too aware, all of these have the power to affect our daily lives, from the state of our economies to the fear of murderous bomb attacks in our cities. Hobsbawm discusses war and peace in our lifetime, problems of public order, anarchy and terrorism, nationalism and the changing nature of the nation-state, and the future prospects for democracy, setting out the historical background and the lessons it can offer us. Above all, he turns his piercing gaze to the Middle East and Western imperialism.
Engaging, erudite and demonstrating his characteristically firm grasp of the facts and statistics, Hobsbawm's essays are indispensable to our understanding of the world we live in.
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