Challenging Empire
Phyllis Bennis gives guest lecture on the shifting meaning of U.S. foreign policy

Jon Stewart | copy editor

On Nov. 13, Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Program for the Institute of Policy Studies in Washington, D.C. gave a guest lecture in the McCarthy Arts Center, arguing U.S. democracy and its new meaning of militarization and occupation in the world.

Defining the empire 

Bennis opened the lecture by alluding to the United States’ views of the world, and how it perceives America.  Also discussed were the problems that the nation faces with foreign aid and policy.  Of the 22 wealthiest nations that spend money on foreign aid, the United States ranks among the lowest, she says. 

“What is consistent is the question of an empire,” she says.  “We are not people built on examination, but we look forward and do not look back enough as a nation.”

Bennis speaks about peace activism and its place in U.S. foreign policy. Jon Stewart, photo

Laurie Gagne, director of the Edmundite Center for Peace and Justice says Bennis was able to convey a message to the audience from an activist perspective. 

“As a critic of our current foreign policy, Phyllis Bennis helped us re-think the role of the U.S. in the world, particularly the Middle East,” Gagne says. “Her vision for change is that the U.S needs to begin to abide by international law.”

Bennis says that empires change and every empire has the goal of control and influencing other places.

“Empires see the control of other places for oil and land to be okay when they do not fight back,” she says.  “This is the legacy of our empire.” 

However, Bennis says the United States is a different kind of empire than other examples in history. With 750,000 to one million military bases abroad, Bennis says the United States is a new kind of militaristic empire. 

“The United States created what they call ‘lily pads’ where military bases are networked all around the world,” Bennis says.  “If they make it sound cute, people will accept it, but these frogs that jump from lily pads are B-52s carrying weapons of mass destruction.” 

Finding a solution

U.S. Military domination without competition over the rest of the world is what Bennis says has become a goal for the United States. 

“The Middle East is the centerpiece for this new empire,” Bennis says.  “Iraq is the point of fear and has been for the past six years and these policies are bipartisan.”

Fear is an important instrument for U.S. policy-makers because the American people are paralyzed with fear, she says, and people will follow any leadership because of fear.

“This is not just George Bush’s war,” she says.  “It’s also Congress’ and the Democrats’ war.” 

Only collaboration between other nations and the United States to find an answer to its foreign policy problems, she says.  War only causes more problems, that cause future wars, instead of preventing them.

“We think we can run the world, but really, we are just a part of the world,” Gagne says. 

Bennis used Vermont statistics to further her point of the harsh realities of human loss in war.  Vermont has paid the highest price in the nation for its loss of citizens from the war in Iraq with 47 per one million deaths.  Also, Burlington is spending $34.7 million of its taxes on the war while it could be going somewhere more productive, Bennis says. 

Laurie Gagne introduces Bennis in the McCarthy Arts Center on Nov. 13. Jon Stewart, photo

“We owe Iraq reparation to its workers and businesses, and we don’t owe Iraq occupation,” she says. 

Bennis proposed at the end of her lecture that the United States pull out its troops, mercenaries and military bases and then start to talk about peace in Iraq.

“Occupation in Iraq is becoming the new normal,” she says.  “War is an ongoing reality and we need to figure out a harder peace movement.” 

Turning public opinion into policy

Bennis says public opinion is crucial in shaping U.S. foreign policy because 70 percent of the nation is in opposition to the war, which was not even this high during Vietnam. 

“Phyllis said that our leaders should be accountable to the U.N., which is one way that her speech was similar to that of William Schulz, our first speaker," Gagne says. “This was one of my goals for the series—to get people to think of the United States not just as a superpower, but as one among many nations in the world.” 

Bennis referred to the Iranian nuclear program to raise issues of public opinion and intervention in the Middle East.

“Not enough people are asking the right questions and the U.S. is poking Iran so we can have an excuse to attack them,” she says.  “Instead of threatening, we could create nuclear weapon free zones throughout the Middle East.” 

The solution, according to Bennis, involves mobilizing activism through city council resolutions to call for an end to Iraq.

“I found her speech to be sobering, but it ended on an upbeat note because of the way she gave suggestions for how we all can work to end the war,” Gagne says. “She encouraged us to go out into the community, to go where people are and speak and protest. She said we have to communicate person to person, and not just by e-mail.”

Having talked to an audience of approximately 250 members, most of which were St. Michael’s students, Bennis says the youth is the future for such activism. 

Bennis signs books for supporters in McCarthy Arts Center. Jon Stewart, photo

“This generation has grown up on Facebook, MySpace, and e-mail,” she says.  “Students have to reverse this and get on their feet to influence public opinion.” 

Senior Brendan Forbes attended the talk and agreed with Bennis’ ideology, but he says there is a bigger picture to solving the problems of U.S. foreign policy. 

“I think that instead of arguing the lessening of the U.S. empire, we need more reform to accurately reflect the democratic rhetoric that we are supposed to follow,” Forbes says.

Nevertheless, Bennis concluded her lecture with a proposal for activism to change policy. 

“Learn, teach, talk because nothing is taboo," Bennis says.  “Don’t be afraid. Get over it because we’ve got much to do and the world is waiting for us to do work.”