Overall, postcolonialism’s main contribution to the world of IR, I believe, is its call to recognize differences. Other than that it is seems to be a scholarly conspiracy theory with no solutions. Under postcolonialism the West is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t. If a country like the United States interacts economically with a country in the global South and as a result that country loses some of what it used to be in return for modernity and advancement, then postcolonial scholars will be angry with the United States for ‘colonizing’ that country. This anger fits with their conspiracy theory that the United States and the West want to develop the entire world into the West in practice and identity. However what if the United States did not interact economically with that same country because we realize that they have their own identity that the US should not influence? Postcolonialist would be upset with this as well because it would fall right back into their paranoia that the West only cares about itself and has no time for the struggling global South. In this way postcolonialism is not productive or useful. Not matter what the West does in relation to the South postcolonialists will argue that the West is just listening to the voice of the Self without acknowledging the voice of the Other. As I mentioned before, I think that the only substantive thing that postcolonialism has to offer is its critique that Western states need to acknowledge the differing opinions of the global South on issues of globalization. But postcolonial scholars need to let the West do something with that knowledge. In order for any problems associated with globalization and the West/South relationship to be worked out, the West is going to have to be the main driver. The West has the power to influence change so postcolonialist need to not only leave room for the acknowledgement of the Other but also leave room for action on the part of the West. It does not make much sense to demand change but at the same time criticize the actions of the actors with the power to bring about such change as being part of an unacceptable conspiracy.
2 comments:
I agree with this analysis of Postcolonialism; it seems to me that Postcolonialism is a collection of complaints that does not offer many (if any) remedies for those things which are complained about. However, this does not mean I think it is wrong to study what Postcolonialists have to say, in fact I think it is very important. Perhaps in time, both the North and the South will come to terms with their complaints about each other and work to resolve them.
You and Gabe think alike (at least on this issue).
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