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Politics of international diffusion: Our common future

By Debra Rae
web posted April 29, 2013

"It's one-world now"—so said Leslie Gelb on the Charlie Rose Show (4 May 1993). President emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Gelb concedes that transnational paradigm shift is well underway. Indeed, the language of globalism is so deeply ingrained in American culture that definitions, and agendas supporting them, attract little attention beyond a knowing nod of placid approval. Whereas "national sovereignty," "free enterprise capitalism," and "traditionalism" are eschewed as "snarl" words, folks affirm as "purr" words "globalization," "harmonization," and "sustainability."

"International Diffusion" Purrs Pretty

To study a broad range of inter-related topics, professors, practitioners, and students from around the world recently gathered in San Francisco for the Fifty-fourth Annual Convention of the International Studies Association. Added to more than five thousand convention attendees were representatives from universities, non-profit organizations, publishing companies, and businesses from near and far. The ISA is a United Nations-recognized, nongovernmental organization that links directly to major UN conferences through which life altering global policies are determined.

The theme of this April 2013 convention—i.e., international diffusion —purrs pretty. A respectably scientific term, "diffusion" is the physical process whereby individual particles within a fluid move randomly from high concentration to lower concentration areas until, in the end, they're distributed evenly throughout the space. In like fashion, with equality its intended outcome, political-cultural diffusion spreads linguistics and cultural practices/ innovations from one community to another.

Given Robin Hood-style wealth diffusion, America's unprecedented "economic revolution" is fast fading under the shadow of global socialism. Absent a tangible utopia, hopeful humans tend to seek an ideological counterpart. Enter, universal enlightened production,3 called "god-money in action" (Randall Baer). Purportedly guided by an inner voice, a worker bee need only "follow his bliss" to produce whatever product or service will be best—and, therefore, in great demand—for the global community.

Egalitarian Political-Economic Liberalism

Of course, there is no historical precedence for universal enlightened production, and the track record for socialism remains dismal at best. Still, the ISA convention vigorously proselytized spread of political-economic liberalism across national borders with bogus promise of sustainable production and consumption, social justice, population control, and dispersion of power to a broader G-20. Unfortunately, in the words of Henry Lamb (publisher of Ēco-Logic), their one-world, would be utopian state will result ultimately in America's taking on "the lowest common denominator that forced equity demands."

One-world Reality, Not the American Dream

Be sure the one-world reality is no friend to our constitutional republic. Internationalists dis sovereignty of nation-states and require cosmic citizens to pledge their allegiance to a world community restructured around natural eco-systems (with surprisingly mystical nuances). Federalized global government redistributes the world's resources, thereby concentrating wealth and power into the hands of few.

Opportunistically poised to manage masses, global elitists easily convert unenforceable "soft law" into enforceable international law. First, however, compliant masses must embrace a collectivist mindset. In general, private property must be viewed as impossible; free enterprise, as exploitation; technology as an abomination against nature; and Western culture as the root of evil. To accomplish this, history must be re-written to skew or ignore contributions of the West and the proverbial American Dream.

ISA: Its Sway

While not momentous, the ISA convention nonetheless showcased international studies on diffusion to be carried out (or blocked, as the case may be) by far-reaching governments, nongovernmental organizations, social movements, and multinational corporations.

  • Diffusion Blocker: National Sovereignty

Essentially identifying who's in control, national sovereignty denotes independence from outside intrusion. Internationalists wrongly denigrate this principle diffusion blocker "as a shield for cruel and socially devastating internal conflicts, all undertaken as a sovereign right." In contrast, detractors with phony promise of universal egalitarianism advocate altered regional boundaries expressly designed to herald communized global governance.

  • Diffusion Blocker: Free Enterprise Capitalism

Rapid diffusion of bilateral and pluri-lateral trade and investment agreements allegedly ensures open economies between and among democracy-friendly regions; however, the scheme requires Western consumerism and free enterprise to cease and desist. "Diffusionists" believe it unfair for profits to bypass individuals from among the world's have-nots to feed the coffers of "greedy" private enterprises.

  • Diffusion Blocker: Religious Thinking

Professor of political science (University of California, Irvine), Cecelia Lynch is the ISA representative to the United Nations and, hence, its voice. An interfaith scholar and religionist, Lynch champions legitimacy, justice, and order; however, she unfairly pairs violent exclusionism, expansionism, and Colonial brutality with "religious thinking." Moreover, Lynch draws heavily from historian, journalist, and international relations theorist E. H. Carr. In the 1930s, Carr mischaracterized Hitler as leader of a "have-not" nation struggling for economic justice. A realist, then later a Marxist, Carr moved increasingly to the left of center while envisioning a new international order.

ISA Call to Action

As policy makers interacted with scholars to flesh out what the twenty-first century global order looks like, ISA cross-discipline discussions energized new, upcoming global leaders. More than forty awards presented at the conference inspired direct action. Keep in mind that contending approaches for affecting diffusion extend beyond education and emulation to include coercion as well.

Samuel Adams got it right: "If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." To that, fellow citizens, I say, "Be warned: The fat lady is fixing to sing." Freedom-loving Americans best shake complacency, stand strong, and vigorously withstand onslaught of global tyranny.

Our kids' future depends on it. ESR

Debra Rae is a regular contributor to The Intellectual Conservative. © 2013

 

 

 

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