Empire-Building: Domestic and International Consequences

Authors talked about the Bush administration’s foreign and domestic policies and the upcoming presidential election. Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, acted as moderator. The panelists responded to questions from members of the audience.

Professor Chomsky spoke about the damage done to the U.S. reputation abroad, noting that in the Muslim world, “substantial majorities view the U.S. military as a threat,” and that the number of people abroad who “dislike or distrust the U.S. has doubled or tripled.” He discussed the proliferation of offensive military capacity, and connected this expansion of war-making capabilities to the growing international distrust of the U.S. He argued that increasing American offensive capability actually decreases security: “People who feel threatened tend to react. They react violently sometimes.” Professor Chomsky is the author of Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance.

Mr. Carroll spoke about the importance of “ending this abominable war in Iraq,” and drew parallels between his experiences opposing the Vietnam War and opposing the war in Iraq. He described the war in Iraq as “a pack of lies” that “darkens the national mood.” “America was not meant to be like this,” he said. Mr. Carroll is author of Crusade: Chronicles of an Unjust War.

Professor Klare spoke about different conceptions of “empire.” He argued that U.S. foreign policy is consistent with an imperial policy, and noted that the U.S. is forging an “empire of petroleum, for petroleum, and by petroleum.” Mr. Klare is the author of Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America’s Growing Petroleum Dependency.

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