The imperial present and the geopolitics of power

Abstract

In this article, it is posited that we are not, contrary to conventional wisdom, living in “post-imperial” times; on the contrary, it is suggested that we inhabit a re-imperialized terrain in the sense that imperial reason has been re-asserted, as clearly evident, for example, in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan —interventions that express a Western desire to control other key regions of the world. The parameters of imperial politics are still in place and the driving orientation of an imperial mentality has not been superceded. The argument is organised around three intertwined themes. First, there is an identification and differentiation of the key concepts that are to be found in discussions of colonial and imperial rule. Second, two contrasting theoretical approaches to the analysis of the imperial are considered, and an attempt is made to suggest ways in which the cultural and the Marxist political economy perspectives could be linked, even if only tenuously. Third the article examines the main components of what is termed the “imperial mentality”, within which it is suggested that a multi-dimensional contextualization of imperial power might well provide us with a more creative analytical opening. The author hopes to make clear that the imperial present and the geopolitics of power is a thematic which requires much more examination in what are acutely volatile times.