Tue Sep 17 05:58:14 UTC 2024: ## Global South Urged to Support Harris, But Should They?
As the US election draws near, pressure is mounting on progressives in the Global South to support Kamala Harris. Arguments in favor of a Harris presidency highlight the dangers of a second Trump term for both the US and the Global South. While acknowledging the Democratic Party’s historical shortcomings, supporters argue that Harris offers a space for debate and progress on issues like racial justice, climate change, and democratic norms – all of which are under threat from Trump’s alleged authoritarian tendencies.
However, renowned columnist Walden Bello raises concerns about the Democratic Party’s long history of imperial expansion, arguing that both parties have consistently favored an expansive imperialism that prioritizes US corporate hegemony and a “missionary democracy” agenda. He cites examples like the invasion of Afghanistan, the Iraq War, and the overthrow of the Qaddafi regime in Libya, emphasizing that both Democrats and Republicans have used their power to manipulate international institutions and promote US interests at the expense of the Global South.
Bello points out that while Democrats may have employed a more “multilateral” approach to empire-building, their actions have ultimately resulted in the same outcomes: the destabilization of nations and the displacement of legitimate governments. He highlights the recent trend of former Republican foreign policy hardliners, including Dick Cheney, shifting their support to Harris, seeing this as a sign of the Democratic Party’s embrace of an aggressive, militarized foreign policy akin to that of the Bush Jr. administration.
Bello argues that Biden’s administration has pursued an expansionist agenda in the Middle East, supporting Israel, isolating Russia, strengthening NATO, and intensifying the containment of China. He criticizes Harris’s acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, which he sees as a reaffirmation of the Democratic Party’s commitment to an imperial agenda.
Bello highlights the contrasting approaches to empire presented by the two parties: the Democrats’ continued pursuit of global dominance versus the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) vision of Trump and JD Vance, which advocates for a more isolationist, Fortress America. While the MAGA agenda would likely disengage from the Global South, it would also lead to a withdrawal from international institutions and a potentially more aggressive, unilateral approach to foreign policy.
Bello calls on the Global South to refrain from taking sides in this “dogfight between rival parties of empire,” urging progressives within the Democratic Party to exert pressure on Harris to abandon her imperial stance. He proposes that progressive Democrats withhold their votes if Harris does not shift away from her aggressive foreign policy platform, potentially forcing her to reconsider.
Bello concludes by urging the Global South to recognize the detrimental nature of both parties’ imperial agendas and to instead focus on building a more just and equitable world that prioritizes the interests of all nations. He emphasizes the need for a more nuanced and critical analysis of US foreign policy and the importance of resisting the allure of supporting one party of empire over the other.
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