Empire and Imperialism: A Critical Reading of Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri

150 Pages·2005·5.51 MB·English

by  Atilio A. Boron

Empire
&I mperialism
A CriRteiacdailon fMg i chaHealr daLn dA ntonNieog ri
AnUOA BORON
'THIMSO ST 1'�ENCH4""T D"[NVOA STATICNRGI TIQU0E1 H ardra nr1 Negrl's
mlstai<eClnn dc onl(JcisneOllons0 1a dcterrtlOllilalntd/e<ld ect!lltEcmfpctc1f c
con'esf romo neo ft ilem oM creatalnclli ec OJnllllltseocdia list, !ltL'tluIaelc" In
tnc onclinent thahta s llilOl hem ostf lfstnaenxop el1enocfet hedc tual
worklf0l1gAs m clleanI mDt.!naiismBo ron not anI',co ntronHta!>r da!m JN e�f�I
ab5\r£lCtlwol!n115 ' thl�p rosaiLc., tHAmeln can eonlQnJporaIcra)lll ) hul
subleelsI ht'wloir kt od Dfotountrlh eorcilacmilItc mpilitr.:iltl,Jl alton Wllltt'n
wllNh. ccpllo�neci�lle ando ltebnl tmhg Ulllour.t hiIsSil hoo" ;ncle.1s:e r\les
10 be" ,lclCrIe)ad .
LEOP ANITCHC oEOlStOColilrl.1R 5eg1i ster. lDll,Ugsislhed Rescilfch
ProfessoofrP O hllcSca.l(! nce. YUonrl<l vt'ISClantad�iJ.
THES COPEor lHILSU CI.\D·� DC o\R[rl:LD ISSECTI0O1N1\ llJt'I�l Iel(l !Jel""s
olJOUI! lIeem ergin\g� or0t1c0J "e1.1 tm.t..h..e ll Q�'I()no tileI lIl1s1tu1dlt�hm atr lil!
ISI tsI lllrn._'clltitlr.u rgeB!o.r onS IIlPa..S .. i l�·l il�t!ra ftelra) eorf 1 ll15Ulider
!'.!ilrldlcnognc efOlO.gD IllI mperialismil'flfj I!SC llfI('rl! \'arlantH�e 1t."'lev.."
lilt' P(!rSISlencoeft iled ll\teo c untrol n"lurilft!lS OllrccI!>h, 'r chanc0!:!1
transnil!.ofnIilllm !>o n d po\\elf ul hOislllea tet hed angerosf a �olrJlI'g
politiecacoln om\. ana muel, elst' ThISli< tlUdusllelJ d�U I�\·{.'lopilslI
Ifllport�arSnPt'C;l I,\eon oresernCtilh 1taneds '\,1m1u.1s1t be lJonteo C el""
for WOflilfSOI(JC III(!Vlt.l.'lenoInl'flS l tlflClp.lllonfr omI nJtuisc.eo PP'CSSIOIdIl1 U
degradatIon
NOAMC HOMSk'l'
'BEYOND HISm E/I,CH"ENNTC .\GEM!:\,;N1T1 1t1he argumento!'.f !-I ardcitIl a
Negr•. B orono ttern"ls o .. ..n 1I1SIgihufia mi eloquenatn ill',5oIfSl ocl a\ s
'glollillo,weodr fd; ,n(1I h£'pO SSllll"!0'1!?l Si tsra llsformaTthleo fnr Uilt fu
COllllilJltrOrlnu lI reorelifclagoiu rdn l1 Cli""('�m.p lriCalil nall�oIll'"ll po liticla
passIo'nSJ us1I1t 1�I ml0Ll1 t hmgw e need 01t1h e left
ElLE'" M£ISKIJ4W§OOD Autho0l1 [ llIp.,veIC alJltiJl
ISBN1 84277 5774
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9
Aboutth boiosk
Harvard acholarM ic:haHealr datnd Ital1i�al'twni nign telJ«Ttonuia J
NelJrl'sm ajorbo ok,E mlrprq,ui cbkeclaym e0 h ugeb etsselwlher� n
itWH publlahedin theU nitSetatde s.I tW85 widellya udebdyo r­
gans,su cha 't heN N YoTirIJlt:ks n, ot usualknlowny fotrh etihri nk·
ingi nt erms ofe mpian�d ImperialismB.u tm anyi ntellecitnu als
othepra rts oft hewo rld -amongth emA tilloBo ron- �re deepl)'
disturbedby the bookree,l inthga tI twas analytically misconceived ,
undermiMCI poUlkaires istancteoi mperialanidsm i,ga oml lhe
concmee xperiencaen di netUm ualana lysis oft heT hirWdo rld.
AliliBoor ona rgues thaHtard t andNegri 's conceopft'im perial­
ismwit houta na ddress'h,owever welli ntentiothneedi cro mmit­
mentt ob umaenman cipationa nda M uerwo rld,I gnora the
fundamepanrtaalm etrrs ofm oderni mperialilm. Professor Boron
unpictksh rairgurm enl5 andco nfronts them wim me social, «a­
nomiacn dp olit�ialcaild eosf i ntensifiedca pi:talm exploiattioinn
today's worlAdm.o ngI het renchparunntts h em akes:
Then atioInl litrea,trr o m beinwge ak�neredm,a iMa c rucial
ag.:nto fth �c apltaclolrll!ed ,e ployail nag� anenaolfec o­
nomiwce apontryo p roteacntde xtenidtp so sitiaonnda, c tively
promotiglnogb alizaitnih osownn intereIstit sos n.l tyh es tate
int hep eriphetryh ahIa s� n dramllrlcalwluykC 'ne-di nfr la·
liobno t1h0 t ransnaticoonrpaolra tioannsdt ol -ores ttaesa nd
supranalieonnlailtl iiekth5ee USa ndth e EU.
Hardatn dN egria rea lsworo ng,h ea rguesi.np icturipnrgod uc·
liounn degrl obaliza115t idoins regardinnagl iofronanlt iersT,h is
doesn OIa ppltyol abourn.o rt oc utting-etd«�h nology.
Andt heisru bstltuolrai n oenb ulo'umsu llitfuodirede 'nt iaftble
social flionrcdae nst agonistsiocci aglr oups mecroenlfuyse s
politirecaalli taysd, oe st he'clurri oudse pktioornI he's uper­
rxploiThlierddW orlmdi grantw orkeras II postmodemh emw ho
is changiInhge world.
Boronc onclutdh�a Etm piis•rt li bertariapesns imistp roduct
oft htld efeoaftt h�s ocialleiftsi ntt he1 1)805a nd1 990S .I csa uthof5
havea blUldonesdoc iatlhe ory Inf avouorf a p oetic abstraction
whicrovhe rs upth er ealoiftya gl obal ization processwh osem ore
cynicapoallogi stdso n OIhe llatlei np �senllngas ap roJ«tioonf
American power,
Criticapl rflUeforbothouk
'11Ii5i51a pGWI!rful polemiicn,t hbeste RnH ofthe word, ap.inst
a t'uneatly fashionablboeo kBu.t it Ia.l som ont thantba L Bt)'ond
hislR nchanenpt guuentw itlbeh arpnne n15o fMa rcil and Negri,
Boron offen. Ina cceuibJep rolllChis, own insightfulan d eloquent
IInalyais oft oday"" globalized" worlda ndthe posaibilitioefsIts
transformation. lhe fruitfulrom binadaonf theo retical ripra nd
claritye,m piriaal analysisa ndpo lldcalpas sionis jlUt tIwn dki01
thingnW'eeed ont hel elL'E U./rIne iHitUW ood,a lllho,ofEmp�
orCaplw
'AtillBooro n moantl a� re, butn eceauy, critidam ofth e
poslllopulUt f orwabyrd H ardt andNegri , who ...h avealign ed
themselva with thea nemptby IntllelJent rigbcwingel1l toneu tral·
iut hepo tentiaflopo rp ularmob JUaadon onth e part omfO¥mlen tl
supportive ofa dif fe rent Idnd of gJobalhation.' SamJrA m in
''nIeIi COpeo flhisl ucandi d carefuld isSft'tioonf wi delyh elbedl iefs
aboutt heem erginwogrl do rdeextre ndwesl lbeyo nd lf1tti nftuential
studthayt iIst iam medtairgft.a.t eBo ronstri ps away layera ftelayer r
ofm lrrundentanding conc"eornilnimdgp erial ism" and itsc umnt
variants. Herevi ews thpeen lstenocfte h deriv et oc onllOln atural
resoun:cs, there lianocfte ra nsnationfirmasl on apowe rful home
statteh,de a ngerso fa \'Oidiponlgi tieccalo nomayn,dm uche lsHee.
brlnopu tc leatrlybn ee efdo "ran adequate s�iacaln oeraphyof
1Mft eldwh"e re an- emanC'lpatobrya mem" usbet wa ged IfI tii tio
havt' any hope ofs uccesIsn.a c ritiqoufce o mmoni llusaiboounst
contemporaryaoc iety.Bo ron Identifiaensds trelsn the significance
ofs ociarlo n:cltha I have eme� anda ree np� Inth e c1usic:
ItNggtes thatr onsttaaknent ewl foyrm s,b ut� f1ecmtu cthh saem e
duper institutiofactnoarls a ndco nOicliInmgerests. 'nib valuable
study developasn Imponanpeln pec:tive onp resenretal itieasn do n
whamtu stbe donet ocar ry forwar d .,..tac h� menlJ Ine mancipa­
tionfro m Injustl�o,p prasioann,dd egradation: NOlI'" C"OIftIkJ
'Iiths i ghlya ppropria tetha t thIDOle! mnchanatn ddeva stating
critoiCHq ardute a ndN egri'sm lstakrn andoo nfuse'CI notionosfa
deertrltorialized andd ecenacreEdm pires boulhadve come from
oneo fthe mostc rea�an d committed sodali..:i ndJctctuals inthe
continentt hahatl hadt hem ost 8nt-hanedxpe rience ofth eartUaI
workinllo fAm erican Impertallm.a.W riting in tratdhieti onof -and
int hep rocca doingm ucht o� -1M LatinAm erican debates
ond ependencyn,e o-c:olonlaandli smim perialism oflh1e9 ']01,
Boron not onlcoyn fronts Haardntd N qri'sa batraL'riowinsth .�
prosaic LatinAm erican contemporarymality' , but aubj«ts melt
workt oa p rofou nd th�reticala ndem pirim refutatiWorint.tr n
\\itohce pdonal WM ando ftenb ithiUmongur , this is abo ok that
especiallydesenr es tobe rud by allth ose ac:tlviIU who, a.Bo ron
aptnloyt esi nt hep refatoc thies new Engliesdhi thawi onbee,n
Influenced by Hardta ndN egri's 'aevere mlatakea ofdiagn osis and
interpretationwhi,ch. il8ccepbyt tMed group.and orpnlzations
thattoday are tIyinglo defeaitm perialism, could become thecause
ornew andl ong-lutdeifnegl tsUo. 'Ptm itchC.� EditorSOC,ia Ust
RegislerC;a ruldaR �turh Chaiinr C omparrzUwPo litEicocnllomyl
anDd ininpJR.eh«J. eaPrtrhrJ /rlloPorli rofi ca/Y oSrUkc niiwMC,.�.,
siCtya.n ada
Abouct haeu thor
AliIloA .Bo ron is Exec:utiw SecrWlry ofth e Latin AmericaCno uncil
ofSocial Sciences( Cl.I\CSO) anProdf essor ofPo liticThale ory at the
Unlftnil)'of Buenos Aires. Hewe. educ:ated In.vpn tina andC hile,
before doing hdoctoirals depft at H8J\IlIJ' d int heU niteSd1ate5.
Heh a.t aughattso me of them Old important academicI Rltlhl­
tioinnArgea ntina. Bra.iClh,i Mlexeico, andPu enoR icoI.nth e
UnheSdt atheeshas bftn avi lillrilp rofeBSOl' att heu niversitioefs
ColumbiaM,rr ,N otreDa me andU CLA,a ndin Britahiun ledUred
atW uwlck and Bradforu.rtiwndi ties. Hei sth ea uthoro re ditoro r
nint>ot' ok(.Ian numlworfIJI nguaps)l,n efuellnSgt aClla,pi ttlUsm
tJndDDrl ocrocy in LatiAllm eric(a1 99H5is )particular. interati5 the
relation�sh ip IlatHm.a rketsan d d� durin, the
prOCftS ofn eo-liberaI rntructuring. 10 2004h ewa s awarded lhto
Cayd el aAsmeri ca. Prize fo'r Empirr' tlrullmp�rltlIJ.m.
ATILIOA . BORON
Empire iamnpde rialism
A critriccaadlio fnM gic haeHla rdt
andA ntonNieogr i
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Contents
AcknowledgeImvil el nts
Prc£acC' It
Prologuteoth e English-langueadgiet iIo n6
I Onpe rspectives,th el imoifvits li ibilibtyl iasnnpotsdd I� 3
2 Tbec onstitutioofnt beem pireI � 6
3 Markettranss.n ationa1c orporatioannsdn ational
economIi4 es2
4 Alternative visionosB heem piIre 58
J The nation-ansdt attheIe s suoefs OllereiIgn7 ty3
6 111('u nsolvemdys teryo ft he multiIt ud8e7
7 Notesf oars ocioloogyfre volutiothnian",k inign ti mes
ofd efeat I gB
• 111epe rsistenocfie m perialisI1m 11
Epilo1gu1e1 1
BibliograIp1 h1y5
Indoexf p ropern amIe1 s30
Genemiln de11x3 6
Acknowledgements
A numbeorf p eoplhea vree aadl olr p ano ft hem anu­
scripmtak,i npgo ssibthleec ompletoifot nh ibsoo k.
Speciatlh ankasr ed uet oI vanBar ighenFtlio,r encia
F.ngheJlo,r gFera gaS,a briGnoan zalnB,e lliInn'ya,
MigudR ossJio,s Seeo aneE,m ilTiaod deain dAn drea
Vlahufsotirh ce iern couragemceonmtm,l' nla5n d
criticJiessm.sC iacas idrio da s uperjbo bo ft ranslating
theI1I lhebra roquoeri ginaSlp aniisnht aon a ustebruet
Millli veElnygt isOhf.c ourliC ,n oneo flhesmh oulbde
blamefdo tr heerr orasn ds hort<.'Omionftg hseb ook,
causeedn tirbye ltyh es tubbornnesosfi tasu thor.
Preface
Firsatl, i tbtlioetrh isto(nl)'s e.p temb1e001r, o noef t heedi tors
ofN ew L�Rftt1I ;ewi nvitmeedt oc ontribuat hecap tetroa col­
lectoifeso sn ays tob ep ublibys Vheedrso i nLon donT.h eb ook
wast oc ontaas ienri oercsri tical commentari esa boEumtp ;n by
MichHaaerlad ntdAn t oniNoe gri( 2000t)he;i� rp on� wouJd
bea ddeldal er)G ivtehnam yt c ontributinorra cheIdn ordinate
proponions,i twas clethaatri tc ounlodbet incluidnte hda t
bookFa.r frobme indgi scouraI�re da,l itzhedatt h weo rIkh ad
alreaddoyn ceo.n sidtheerii mnpgo rtanceo ft hteh emdee,se rved
a fresshta rts,oa ,ft ebrroa denisnogma en alyseesn,l argionnag
fewc ommenalSd,d innewg d ataan ndew refiectitohrnees s,u lt
wallt hlBbo ok.
Whatis relatedin thep revious paragraphis thefe suho fh is­
lOryan dc ircumstance'[bse.r �ere alsom ore importanreasotns
Ihaitn spmieredt owri temy bookFi.rst, th� was thneee d to
consivdeesl)'re rioutshwlyeo rofk two schoolaftrs h ien tellectual
cablrei ofM ichHaaerldat n dAn tonNiegroi Th.e iIrn �lIectual and
polittirl.a'8je1c tosori ebsro,a da npdro lic,fle s�dalliyn t hcea se
ofth el atmtaekrte,h edme servoifrn egs pectan df otrh atre ason
1 t'lUlminevde l)'ca refullthyea ssentihoeynm sa dthero ughout
Empi0n po,l emict hahta ds uchs taro npugb ilcim pacts.e cond,
Ihse ubjmeacttetr oftbhooiksi s greoafti mportanceth:e e mpire,
ort,o u saed efinititohna stee mst om e more appropriatteh,e
imperia litssyst em in itscu rrentp hase.
Thd�i fficuilnuti nedsC' rtaksuicnha gtask are many. Is ha� the
authcorrist'vi icewoa rcla pitaalnisdnm e oligMlraolb alization,
, "1"Iw book aaft�rr. rol\5i�Rblt drily. in 100fiJ nwiathlou t thr
rhllprrran dby Ne griH.aSeor r dBalatk ri.bnan (1003).