Life Onboard LAST UPDATE  June 13, 2010
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May 09, 2010 America: An Empire in Denial – Achin Vanaik
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Students in the Global University Programme have been learning from Achin Vanaik's perspectives ahead of their five-day trip in a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan.

"Is America an empire or isn't it?" Achin Vanaik's eyes scan the crowd questioningly. The guest educator on international affairs from Delhi University in India is on the 69th Voyage to present a provacative series of lectures exploring the influence of American foreign policy on the wider world. Mr Vanaik has long been a critic of the US' dominant position in the world and was part of the anti-Vietnam war movement in Britain during the 1960s and 70s. He firmly believes that the US is an 'informal empire', but some of those in the audience are not so sure. How can it be an empire if it does not have colonies? On the surface, this would make the US completely different from the European colonial powers and their armies which swept across the world, taking over territories and subjugating other people to foreign rule.

"America is an informal empire because unlike the British and French empires, the United States has dominated other peoples and territories without formally colonising them," Mr Vanaik says. "It has always been and continues to be an empire in denial." Challenging the viewpoint that the US uses its power for just and good causes, Vanaik's lectures on the 69th voyage link nuclear disarmament, globalisation, terrorism and conflict in the Middle East with the foreign policy of the United States.
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This is the fourth time that Mr Vanaik has been invited onto a Peace Boat voyage to speak with participants.
"People don't view the United States as an empire because of what I call American Exceptionalism," Mr Vanaik says. He explains that the US sees itself as at the world's best country, which is at the centre of global events. Mr Vanaik gives an example, saying America is the only country to have appropriated the name of the whole continent. So what is Mr Vanaik getting at? "My point is that the US cannot see itself as an empire because it sees itself as a country for other countries to model themselves upon." In many ways the United States has become an emblem for the best aspects of modernity. It embodies the virtues of the Enlightenment such as freedom, opportunity and reason.

But in numerous parts of the world, the foreign policy of the US is seen as a negative force, which leads to unnecessary conflict in far away places, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. No country has a worse record in the number of civilians that it has killed outside of its borders. It has supported some of the worst military dictatorships such as the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia which led to the deaths of millions of people. The United States is also guilty of using the most devastating weapons ever invented against civilians. This arsenal includes nuclear bombs, depleted uranium munitions, daisy cutters, defoliants, cluster bombs and white phosphorous. It has the world's largest military force, with more than 750 bases in over 130 countries. It defies logic that the US has in fact boosted its spending on arms since the end of the Cold War and the decline of the Soviet Union.
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As well sharing his own views, Achin Vanaik learnt about new cultures onboard the 69th Voyage and took part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony.
Despite these criticisms, there are many things about the US which must be admired. It is the largest society based on immigration. Mr Vanaik says this has led to an interpersonal form of behaviour that is inclusive and without the class divides present in many European and Asian countries. It has an extremely impressive education system with more than 50 elite universities. This is bolstered by access to the best resources, academics and most advanced technologies, which has lead to impressive scientific advances because the nation acts as a huge magnet to attract talent. The US has made a huge contribution to popular culture, especially to music, film and dance. This is particularly attractive to young people and has given them more outlets to express themselves. But the danger of these strengths means that these same people who are drawn to the United States can often overlook the country's deficiencies.

The failures of American society are obvious when comparing it to other nations. Among the advanced democracies, the US has the highest level of poverty, the biggest gap between the rich and poor and the worst health care system. Mr Vanaik says while the US has a relatively transparent government because of its strong freedom of information laws, it has an inferior style of democracy to other countries. "America has only ever had two parties." Mr Vanaik says that other nations like India have dozens of parties, giving voters a wide range of choice when it comes to who represents them.
"There are two choices," Mr Vanaik tells participants onboard the 69th Voyage. Either they continue to believe that the US is a good force and that its foreign policy is just, he says. Or they oppose the "American Empire" which has created much suffering around the world. Mr Vanaik's stance is clear. "We can defeat the United States even if we can't win militarily," he says. This can be achieved through what he calls progressive politics, which means using discussion and literature to shine the spotlight on the effects of America's foreign policy decisions. No empire lasts for ever, meaning it is inevitable that the United States will decline, declares Mr Vanaik, arguing that it will crumble more rapidly as more people around the world unite in their opposition to the misery that empires cause.