{"id":9796,"date":"2023-03-24T07:31:55","date_gmt":"2023-03-24T11:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/?page_id=9796"},"modified":"2023-03-24T07:32:37","modified_gmt":"2023-03-24T11:32:37","slug":"mrg2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/conferences\/mrg2023\/","title":{"rendered":"Critical Theory\/MRG 2023 Presentation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>All Politics is Global: American Consumerist Support of Imperialism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Introduction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The U.S. economy relies heavily on the global flow of goods\u2014consumer, commercial, energy\u2014across the ocean\u2026. Securing that flow of trade has long been a primary mission of the U.S. Navy. Since the end of the Cold War the U.S. has enacted this mission largely alone, the only nation with a genuinely global navy. This crucial function adds weight to American influence in the workings of globalization, which redounds to U.S. profit\u2014literally as well as diplomatically. (para. 1-2)<\/p>\n<cite>Bruce Jones from the Brookings Institute<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pizza Hut across from the Pyramids of Giza <\/strong>(<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.atlasobscura.com\/articles\/across-the-street\" target=\"_blank\">Bruhns<\/a>)<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.atlasobscura.com\/article_images\/10283\/image\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>American Empire<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hardt &amp; Negri&#8217;s Empire. 2000<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;The United States does not, and indeed no nation-state can today, form the center of an imperialist project. Imperialism is over. No nation will be world leader in the way modern European nations were&#8221; (xiii-xiv).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;The United States does indeed occupy a privileged position in Empire\u201d (xiv).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We should emphasize once again that this Constitution is imperial and not imperialist. It is imperial because&#8230;the U.S. constitutional project is constructed on the model of rearticulating an open space and reinventing incessantly diverse and singular relations in networks across an unbounded terrain. (182)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;through the Marshall plan in Europe and the economic reconstruction of Japan\u2026the dollar\u2019s hegemony\u2026was tied to the stability of all the standards of value&#8221; (244).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Third Communist International in 1921<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Everywhere the United States are profiting by their military (and financial) supremacy to obtain the extension of their military and economic power throughout the whole world&#8221; (Varga para. 2).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The United States of Consumption<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Josh Bivens concludes \u201chas been driven by higher corporate profit margins and supply-chain bottlenecks\u201d (para. 19).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media<\/em>. Herman, Edward S., Chomsky, Noam<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Myth of the Conscious Consumer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>I ask Congress to give me authority for mandatory conservation and for standby gasoline rationing. To further conserve energy, I\u2019m proposing tonight an extra $10 billion over the next decade to strengthen our <strong>public transportation systems<\/strong>. And I\u2019m asking you for your good and for your nation\u2019s security to <strong>take no unnecessary trips<\/strong>, to <strong>use carpools<\/strong> or public transportation whenever you can, to park your car one extra day per week, <strong>to obey the speed limit<\/strong>, and to set your thermostats to save fuel. Every act of energy conservation like this is more than just common sense\u2014<strong>I tell you it is an act of patriotism<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<cite>Jimmy Carter. &#8220;Crisis of Confidence&#8221; (or &#8220;Malaise Speech&#8221;) on July 15, 1979<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Idling in the Starbucks Drive Through<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9797\" width=\"655\" height=\"491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/121\/2023\/03\/IdlingSBUX-13thSt-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 655px) 100vw, 655px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Three Types of Consumers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn&#8217;t an exhaustive list but used for making this manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Socially conscious consumers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consumers who don\u2019t care at all<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The unaware consumer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Future Expansion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li> The faceless MNCs deserve more blame<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fuller Marxist critique<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Discussion of technology from a social constructivist point of view<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A more robust eco-critical or degrowth approach that might lead me into thinking about the \u201cconsumer in the Anthropocene.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Works Cited<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Altman, Howard and Trevithick, Joseph. \u201cAs Ukraine Pummels Russians With Javelin Missiles, Can Production Keep Pace with Demand?\u201d <em>The Warzone<\/em>. 7 April 2022. https:\/\/www.thedrive.com\/the-war-zone\/45132\/as-ukraine-pummels-russians-with-javelin-missiles-can-production-keep-pace-with-demand<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bivens, Josh. \u201cCorporate Profits Have Contributed Disproportionately to Inflation. How Should Policymakers Respond?\u201d Economic Policy Institute. 21 April 2022 https:\/\/www.epi.org\/blog\/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bruhns, Sarah. \u201cWhat\u2019s Across the Street: The Secret Sights Alongside Famed Destinations.\u201d <em>Atlas Obscura<\/em>. 4 Sept 2014. https:\/\/www.atlasobscura.com\/articles\/across-the-street<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a>Curran, James, Natalie Fenton, &amp; Des Freedman. <em>Misunderstanding the Internet<\/em><\/a>. 2nd Edition. New York: Routledge, 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defense Manpower Data Center. \u201cNumber of Military and DoD Appropriated Fund (APF) Civilian Personnel.\u201d [Report] December 22, 2022. https:\/\/dwp.dmdc.osd.mil\/dwp\/api\/download?fileName=DMDC_Website_Location_Report_2209.xlsx&amp;groupName=milRegionCountry<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Global PEO Services. \u201cTop 15 Countries by GDP in 2022.\u201d https:\/\/globalpeoservices.com\/top-15-countries-by-gdp-in-2022\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here &amp; Now. \u201cRet. Gen. David Petraeus: Iraq War is a \u2018Massive Cautionary Tale\u2019 20 Years Later.\u201d 20 March 2023. https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/hereandnow\/2023\/03\/20\/iraq-war-20-years-later<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mohammed Hussein and Mohammed Haddad. \u201cInfographic: US military presence around the world.\u201d Aljazeera. 10 Sept. 2021. https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2021\/9\/10\/infographic-us-military-presence-around-the-world-interactive<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOil and Petroleum Products Explained.\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/energyexplained\/oil-and-petroleum-products\/imports-and-exports.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">US Energy Information Administration<\/a>. 2 Nov 2022.<a href=\"\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jones, Bruce. \u201cNavigating Great Power Competition \u2013 A Serious Planning Start.\u201d Brookings Institution. 3 Aug. 2022. https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/order-from-chaos\/2022\/08\/03\/navigating-great-power-competition-a-serious-planning-start\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Institute. ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES of WAR on the U.S. ECONOMY. https:\/\/www.economicsandpeace.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/The-Economic-Consequences-of-War-on-US-Economy_0.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Morris, Craig A. \u201cA Tale of a Fish from Two Countries.\u201d USDA.gov. 21 Feb 2017. https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/media\/blog\/2016\/12\/05\/tale-fish-two-countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All Politics is Global: American Consumerist Support of Imperialism Introduction The U.S. economy relies heavily on the global flow of goods\u2014consumer, commercial, energy\u2014across the ocean\u2026. Securing that flow of trade has long been a primary mission of the U.S. Navy. Since the end of the Cold War the U.S. has enacted this mission largely alone, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":598,"featured_media":0,"parent":7407,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9796","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P2HAOx-2y0","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9796","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/598"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9796"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9796\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9800,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9796\/revisions\/9800"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pages.charlotte.edu\/aaron-toscano\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9796"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}