Empire as a Geopolitical Figure

Imperialism, territory, and liberation: on the dynamics of empire stemming from Europe

“…In addition, I adopt Burbank and Cooper's (2010) perception of Empires in World Historywith their 'repertoires of power' that evolve in competition one with another (see a review of their book by Parker, in this issue)and build on my own extension of Münkler (Parker 2010) to provide an account of empires as they extend their reach over territory, making their presence felt geopolitically. Thus, the dynamic tensions within the structure of empires evolve over time and space, generating a genealogy that I will trace in the case of Europe, and thereafter North America.…”

Contemporary International Relations and the BRICS Geopolitics of State Capitalism

“…But it is imperative to note that "an imperial system represents an inherently unstable political condition" (Goodall, 1987, p.221). Whereas oppression and exploitation are tacitly inseparable from the contemporary imperial actors' conduct of international relations, their value-laded core mission is assumed and presented as peaceable, even when extraterritorial actions involve evident atrocities (Pomeranz, 2005;Kearns, 2009;MacDonald, 2009;Parker, 2010), especially in cases where the agents are cast as illegal, and informal polities.…”

“…The latter constitute the basis for civilizing missions which, sometimes, consist of irrationality that derive from "complex historical, cultural and ideological processes" (Zielonka, 2012, p.519). The imperial vision, purpose and policies as well as the role of the global actor in their motivation, integration and legitimization is prescribed in fuzzy legal or illegal and formal or informal, as well as steeply mutable and uncertain, civilizing missions; and, their pursuit scarcely rely on coercion, oppression or exploitation (Hardt & Negri, 2000;Pitts, 2005;Pomeranz, 2005;Kearns, 2009;Parker, 2010;Zielonka, 2012). In the final analysis, extraterritorial actions of interference are guided to serve domestic interests and objectives.…”

“…That is, capital, which is the hallmark of the capitalist economic system, "produces a space through which places are linked, and in which they are organized", in the process of producing commodities (Smith, 1984cited in Langton, 1996. The global agents driving the capitalist system are driven by distinct nationalist cultures, histories and ideologies (Pitts, 2005;Parker, 2010;Zielonka, 2012).…”

“…The present capitalist world-economy is defined at its core by elements such as "capital, money, commodities, markets and states" (Wallerstein, 1979cited in Langton, 1996, which are drive through cultural, historical and ideological praxis. Hence, contemporary international relations studies transcend the conventional focus on inter-state cooperation, conflict, negotiations and diplomacy, in order to account for cultural, historical and ideological aspects that underline national pride, glory, morality and religious zeal predominant in global governance (Chandler, 2006;Parker, 2010;Zielonka, 2012). It is evident that wars fought across the world today are fundamentally about conduct of some global actors seeking to "civilize" others.…”