anti-imperialism – ZERO ANTHROPOLOGY

Why did the Left Fail the Covid Test So Badly?

Note: Contrary to this site’s policy of not republishing work from other sites, which has been in effect for several years, this exception is a must. It is almost impossible for me to find something with which I agree so thoroughly, and what follows is the rarest of exceptions. It consists of exactly what I […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Pearls before Swine

Pearls, in the Parish of St. Andrew’s, Grenada, just up the road from the main town of Grenville, is a unique place that sits at the intersection of two of the main themes of my research career: the cultures and histories of Indigenous Peoples of the Caribbean, and the political economy of US imperialist interventions. Both […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Economic Citizenship and Resource Nationalism

What is resource nationalism, and why is it important? One of Wikipedia’s shortest entries, “resource nationalism” nonetheless appears in 372 files published by WikiLeaks. Resource nationalism seems to be of especial concern to US diplomats and private interests particularly among corporations specializing in the extraction of minerals and petroleum. States which practice resource nationalism include […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Half-Heads: A Dominant Force in US Politics

Half-head: this signifies a way of approaching problems that involves efficient thinking, where efficiency comes from an intensely selective focus. A half-headed approach could be a combination of unspoken or unconscious interests, the accumulation of taboos around certain subjects, the desire to appeal to select audiences, the product of an ideology—some or all of these, […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Decolonizing Thought in the New World

On the Passing of Norman Girvan and the Continuation of the New World This past Wednesday (April 9, 2014), Norman Girvan passed away after suffering paralyzing injuries on a hiking trip in Dominica. He was in Cuba receiving treatment. Norman Girvan, trained as an economist, was by most appreciative accounts a leader in the Caribbean […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Hugo Chávez Frías: An Unforgettable and Victorious Permanence

Unforgettable Hugo Chávez Frías passed away from the pain and struggle of this world on March 5, only to become a permanent part of a constellation of revolutionary heroes. This morning, on March 8, Chávez will be laid to rest in a manner that will leave him on permanent display for millions of his adoring […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

The University as Finishing School for the New Imperialists?

“As scholars, we must work harder to illuminate the complex interconnections and complicities between them [that constitute contemporary imperialism], and bring those findings to the broadest possible public. And it is that very complexity that commands us to speak and write clearly and with all the specificity and evidence we can muster. If we do […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Anthropologists for Justice and Peace (AJP)

It is with great pleasure that, as a member of the steering committee, I announce the formation of ANTHROPOLOGISTS for JUSTICE and PEACE (AJP), a new grouping of Canadian anthropologists, and a partner of the U.S.-based Network of Concerned Anthropologists (NCA), the Fredericton Peace Coalition, the Centre de ressources sur la non-violence (CRNV), the Collectif […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

Conservative Anti-Imperialism

Following recent discussions on this blog, about “the left” on Iran, I decided to compile some “notes and quotes” on American conservative anti-imperialism (I am not sure if we have such a clearly defined and prominent equivalent among Canadian Tories), a fascinating phenomenon in my view. Indeed, while most of the attention in the recent […]

by Maximilian C. Forte

The enigma that is Mugabe, internationally and in the Caribbean (1.2)

So filled with anti-imperialist scorn on this blog, but when it comes to Mugabe, and the possible cooptation of anti-imperial discourse as justification for oppressive rule, then this blog suddenly goes silent. And why is that? No apologies here, I cannot comment on everything and everyone in the world, but having said that I will […]