Essay on “Mask of The New Imperialism” Complete Essay, Paragraph, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Mask of The New Imperialism

Imperialism is back with a bang. However, unlike old imperialism that was quite visible since it was based on military power and was territorial in nature, the new imperialism is based on soft powers like democracy, globalisation, mass media, etc. Consequently, it is non-territorial in nature and invisible in its operation. It is, however, no less deadly and deplorable like its earlier avatar. In the past, imperialism started in the 15th century and was led by Britain which became a major colonial power in the world. The new imperialism started in the mid-20th century and it was led by the United States.

New imperialism is direct, non-military, non-territorial and invisible in nature. To understand the entire modus operandi of new imperialism, it is imperative to enlist and describe the instruments or means of new imperialism, viz., democracy, globalisation, mass media, human rights and concern for international peace.

The first mask of the new imperialism is democracy, which is being advocated as the ideal form of government. It is said that democracy ensures the highest form of political freedom and enables the masses to exercise their free will, thereby guaranteeing liberty, equality and fraternity to everyone on the earth. This is, however, a superficial justification for furthering political imperialism in an unhindered and unopposed manner. Authoritarian regimes (like Iraq, Cuba, Iran, Libya, etc.) and Communist governments (like China, North Korea, etc.,) pose effective barriers to the imposition of this new form of imperialism. The real effort is to loosen the grip of these rulers over the masses so that neo-imperialists can make inroads to those regions.

There is no doubt that democracy is people-friendly and a more desirable form of government. But to assert that democracy is the only form of government worth pursuing is not entirely correct. It is not the advocacy of democracy but its use for imperialistic designs that is undesirable. Hence, the ‘what’ aspect of democracy, i.e., universal adult franchise, is good and desirable, but the ‘why’ aspect or the motive with which it is carried out or imposed is objectionable and undesirable.

The second mask of the new imperialism is globalisation. Globalisation is a comprehensive term encompassing political, economic and cultural integration of the entire world. Political globalisation is sought to be achieved by world institutions led by the United Nations. This is, of course, commendable. But it also gives an opportunity to the superpowers—free flow of goods, capital technology and labour—for all practical purpose. It is defined to include the first three aspects simply because it suits the developed nations as it gives them a huge competitive advantage. The two forms of globalisation aim at achieving the unification or integration of culture by bringing all the other cultures into American culture—the global culture.

However the American culture is a culture of consumerism, a materialistic culture based on the “philosophy of utility”. It identifies itself with the consumption of certain type of commodities and pursuing a hedonistic lifestyle. The major means of achieving this cultural globalisation is through the telecast and export of Hollywood films, the biggest ‘cultural’ exports of the US, giving a peep into the lifestyle of Hollywood heroes and heroines. This is the most effective way to pave the path for new imperialism.

The third mask of new imperialism is human rights. Since the Nuremburg trial after World War II, there has been an increasing emphasis on human rights in assessing the conduct of other nations. The international tribunal at Nuremburg had laid down, for the first time in the history, that when the international rules that protect the basic humanitarian values are in conflict with state laws, every individual must transgress the state laws. It is being advocated now that humanitarian intervention is necessary if a state acts against its own interests. That explains the US intervention in Latin American and African countries.

The last mask of the new imperialism is the concern for international peace, which has always been on the agenda of international organisations as the United Nations. These are being increasingly subjected to active interference by the United States. After the 9/11 attacks, US has taken up cudgels for maintaining global peace in the name of fighting ‘global terrorism’, beginning with Afghanistan and later moving into Iraq. Afghanistan was attacked for its rule by the misguided and obscurantist Taliban, trained and financed by Pakistan (which has been suitably rewarded by the United States) and Iraq for Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial regime and amassing of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), no evidence for which has been found so far. This form of new imperialism is in full swing at the moment and international organisation, technology and economic factors are furthering its cause. This has greatly helped the sole global super cop, i.e., the US, to impose its imperialistic designs on the rest of the globe despite worldwide protests. Is another world possible? At the Fourth World Social Forum in Mumbai, Arundhati Roy said, “Debating imperialism is a bit like debating the pros and cons of rape.” It is correct as far as old imperialism goes. The new imperialism is more like seduction.