Internationality: A Historical Analysis to Prevent Catastrophe. AKA A Memo to the Incoming Administration, Written in December 2020

Author's Note:

Written in December 2020 — the tail end of a genuinely chaotic year — this essay is addressed, loosely, to the incoming Biden administration, using historical analysis of imperialism, labor hierarchies, and racial ideology to argue that the United States needs to reckon with its past in order to navigate its present. It pulls together King Leopold's Congo, Heart of Darkness, Karl Marx, Herbert Spencer's social Darwinism, and Ernest Renan's theory of nationhood to make the case that trade policy, labor equity, and racial justice are not separate issues but deeply historically entangled ones. The framing is ambitious — essentially a policy memo written through a world history lens by a nineteen-year-old sophomore.

Internationality: A Historical Analysis to Prevent Catastrophe

The United States of America, contrary to its welcoming name, has long been in a state of divide. The current political landscape brings into question the mindsets of not only American citizens and politicians, but also that of the global community. In the span of one seemingly endless year, decades of injustice and deep-rooted divides are resurfacing, providing the rare opportunity to attempt to fix the country’s domestic social structure as well as relations with other major powers. In order to do so, a deep analysis of the past must be conducted, for that is where we can glean the most information about human nature and avoid repetitions of the past. 

We must first address the folly of constricting the Nation. The idea of the “Nation” has brought divides to the modern world; we cease to exist on the same earth as one collective humanity. The catastrophes of the past year are highlighting this issue, and providing an opportunity to look at each other through a lens of compassion. The scholar Ernest Renan stated it best; “there are such things as reason, justice… and the beautiful,” which are applicable to all mankind (Reader 256). As such, the President-elect must especially consider trade relations, labor policies, and racial justice, while keeping in mind the reality of the Globe and Nation.

Trade relations are an important foundation to any successful, modern world power. therefore, we must take into account economically - based Imperialism and the imbalance of power. Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” stated that, in theory, mankind’s “greed” could be a driving force behind society. However, he argued that “if self-interest provides the momentum to commerce, then competition provides restraint” (Lecture). Essentially, society is built on a desire to progress, and varying power levels allowed nations, historically, to pursue Imperialism. Primarily, Imperialists vied for trading power. In order to succeed, most implemented brutal regimes, using economic ambition as justification for their actions. For example, King Leopold imposed a regime that enslaved not only the people in the Congo, but terrified fellow Europeans. This is reflected in the Heart of Darkness, in which the Narrator is left with lasting mental trauma. The Narrator sees the prime example of Imperial glory, Kurtz, reduced to a shadow of a man that is ultimately consumed by the darkness (Conrad). While the novel is fictional -- albeit based on real experiences and viewpoints -- there are many examples of King Leopold’s regime’s economically-sanctioned brutality. Militarization in order to increase trading capability led to a gross abuse of power; author Edmund Morel details various cases of native mutilation, slaughter, and other tactics employed by soldiers and authorities in order to increase manufacturing and harvesting. He states that in the “furtherance of unutterably egotistical ambitions” the Belgian Nation created an “earthly hell,” and were left with condemnation from Europe and an eventual violent uprising (Morel 124). While the United States may not be traditionally Imperialistic or imposing a brutal military regime on other nations, it must refrain from trade policies that take unnecessary advantage of other countries; exercising restraint will prove beneficial in maintaining long-term international relationships. 

The Imbalance of Power extends beyond trading, and seeps into domestic policies. Social hierarchies often create unrest among the workforce; while there is no clear division of the bourgeoisie and common laborer in the United States, there is still an imbalance. Although some speculated that the division of labor was beneficial to the economy and social stability, Karl Marx pressed the idea that working classes inevitably overthrew the hierarchy. Although it may not be explicit in modern day, the “Nation” should still be focused on the benefits of the common man. Contrary to Marx’s Manifesto, there is no scope for a fully balanced society -- it would eliminate economic growth and modernization -- but power hierarchies must not get in the way of beneficial administrative action. 

This segues into racial policy, or more specifically, equal justice for citizens. History has provided ample evidence of the repercussions of racial division. First, the idea of “social darwinism,” or the survival of the “fittest” race must be examined. When Charles Darwin discovered evolution, it was promptly manipulated by the sociologist Herbert Spencer, among others. Spencer proposed the idea that the world naturally progresses towards heterogeneity, and along with this comes a division of ability (Reader 129). His view was that “barbarous tribes,” or non-Europeans, could progress into modernity by respecting their “separate functions” (Reader 129). This false belief led to the concept of racial superiority, and in term was a justification for slavery and Imperialism. Essentially, Spencer used scientific logic as the basis for racial hierarchies, which led to many scientists questioning the validity of biological differences and the advantages of one race over another. Thus Imperialism was based on exercising natural “rights” when subjugating various nations and their “lesser” humans. While the United States is not in danger of using these justifications in Imperialist conquests, racial policies are being heavily scrutinized by not only the public, but the world. Therefore, in order to prevent even more severe domestic uprisings, the sentiments of every ethnicity must be equally weighed, and should not be negatively segmented in administrative policies. 

The President-elect must take into special consideration the question of ethnicity and Nationalism in domestic administration. A common misconception perpetuated by history’s race-related divisions is that a “Nation” is ethnically based. However, it is important to look at the reality of the modern -- and even historical world. Ernest Renan wrote it best; even though “race is confused with nation,” the idea of a “nation” is “fairly new in history” (Reader 253). He further states that there is no “pure race,” and ethnographically-based politics are unstable (Reader 256). Herbert Spencer proposed heterogeneity as a means to control the populus, in which it was made clear that the conquerors were nationalistic in their endeavors to subjugate the “lesser” peoples. The hierarchical structures were also utilized to maximize economic benefits, providing justification for the brutal treatment of dominion natives. However, inevitably, the “common people” upheaved the social structures in order to create their own governing systems. From these conquests and rebellions came the idea of a “Nation,” “constituted by the feeling of the sacrifices that one has made in the past and of those that one is prepared to make in the future” (Reader 258). For example, the French Revolution happened on the basis of equality and the destruction of bourgeoisie principles. What followed was the creation of the Nation of France, in which the masses were able to tailor the country to serve their purposes. This follows Renan’s belief that “a nation is a soul, a spiritual principle” in which there is a “rich legacy” as well as the “present-day consent...to live together” (Reader 258). Essentially, history proves the point that no matter if there is a national language or a dominant ethnic group, Nations are not composed of homogenous groups like religious “masses that believe in a perfectly uniform manner”(Reader 258). Instead, Nationality is a created concept meant to unify people based on a created, merged culture. This is a concept that the United States must be aware of going forward, and should strive to embody a true melting pot of diversity.

When looking to improve domestic and international policies, it is wise to look to the past in order to rectify and prevent the mistakes of the present and future. The President-elect must be aware of the impacts of trade relations, labor policies, and racial ideologies when making administrative decisions. When analyzing Imperialism, it is clear that it had an economic foundation, and powerful nations used militarization to their advantage. The result was brutal regimes, condemnation from most, and an eventual loss of power over the dominion. On the domestic side, labor hierarchies have led to revolutions; while there cannot be a total balance of power, there should be some form of citizen equality. This also relates to racial justice, and its impacts on the global scale. Nations no longer consist of exclusive, homogeneous ethnic groups, and as such, there is no room for racial superiority. Any beliefs in biological superiority have long been dispelled, and now the Nation must work to prove that equality on an administrative level. Overall, based on history’s ample pool of evidence, there are events that cannot be erased, but actions that can be prevented. The job, therefore, is to utilize knowledge from the past in order to reform social structures and international relations, thereby allowing for a clear path to modernization and with it, the progression of the globe.

Note: "Reader #" refers to our Course Book Reader, a compilation of various readings assigned in the course... also known as a huge textbook -- one of many that occupy space in my personal library.