Debating Empire a Edited by GOPAL BALAKRISHNAN ith contributions by Stanley Aronowita, Giovanni Atrighi, Timothy Brennan, Malcolm Bull, Alex Callinicos, Sam Gindin, Tom Mertes, Leo Panitch, Michael Rustin, Sanjay Seth, Charles Tilly and Ellen Meiksins Wood Vv(© hectic Vern 2003 "Kiger ‘Te moa ight of he sth hae ben sete ‘oh Yer en 05 1888 1-85964—452-9 pb) Acalogo ter fr On bat one ron e BA L hay of Congres Caton Pbcion Date Deity sn SA Bee ipeey mee esos Po dee lp Basie, Cl Aon ae, ‘ype 10/125 kei Sep La, Son Walden, Dace ond bund CR Clones Contents Introduction by Goal Balaban 1 Empire: Postmodern Theory of Revolution Michael Rustin 2 The New World Order Stan Aroouits 3. A Nebulous Empire hari Tay 4 Lineages of Empire Gino Argh 5 Back to the Future? Sanjay Seth 6 Gems and Baubles in Empire ‘Leo Pant and Sam Gindin 7 AManiferto for Global Captain? len Meisins Wood 8 You Can't Build a New Society witha Stanley Kite ‘Malin Bt <9 The lallan Heology Tinathy Brennan 19 26 29 8 2 a 8* conrENts| “10 Toni Negri in Perspective ‘Alex Calis 711 Gras-Roots Globalism Tom Mores Notes on Conteibutors Acknowledgements Index re 4 155 187 159 Introduction Gopal Balakrishnan No wort resonates more srongly today than “Empire, the te of 4 lierary sensation that as given a name to an enigmatie totality ‘of money, power and culture. The reception of ths coauthored ‘manifesto already forms an episode of contemporary intellectual history: @ work of omate erudition, profesing communist alle lances, becoming a bestseller in an atmosphere of improbable Iedia fanfare. Since its publication in 2000, i has a attracted a steady stream of reviews, 4 croxssection of which appear in this reader. Delating Emp is a collection of radial responses (0 Michael Harde and Antonio Negt’s bold, synoptic vision of the ‘volatile landscapes ofthe world sytem. Such works re provisional iuminations of a historical proces that appears to unfold in a narrative of decades. I important to keep in mind, then, that the contributory to this reader ate responding to text that was written between the frat Gulf War and the Kosovo intervention, ata time when the world capitals system seemed ‘miraculously heathy and robust, and the relationship between America and the top tier of Eurasian powers more relaxed, The ongoing relevance of Bnpie a6 an interventionist text will depend on the strength of is responses to the sharpest turns of events and ‘Empire bas et che stage fora critique of the matter rhetorcs of| slobalivaion, resuming the work of « Marxist tradition from an taller strategie conjuncture. Prior to its publication, diagnoses from the left seemed to offer ether a bleak scan ofthe historic bostom line, or ~ alternately ~ consolation prizes. At best, the