Resisting Empire

I've had some enriching discussions with folk since the last post on Empire, the US and Evangelicalism.

What's driving home to me now is that Empire exists in two locations: "out there" and "in here". The "out there" is in politics, economics, militarism, consumerism, domination, etc. Once you start seeing it, it is the easiest form of Empire to notice. For example: the US has over 700 military bases across 135 different countries, who's security is that really for? The US's economy and resource footprint is in the range of 80% for 20% of the population (those figures probably include OECD countries, not sure. You can look them up for yourself). We all agree that the US is "on top", the disagreement is whether this is a good thing or not.

For me I see it as a sign of Empire because there is little acknowledgement that the way we live in Empire impacts those outside of Empire. Well, that's not entirely accurate. Do we acknowledge that part of the Empire is left untended, has it's valuable natural resources transfered to the center of Empire and those left behind become the dumping ground for the center? Usually not. When we buy a consumable good, food, a mobile phone, a car, do we think beyond the cost-benefit equation to our self (usually in terms of money, time and effort) or to the planet (which requires thinking of product life-cycles, labour practices, environmental impacts, and the quality of human interaction? I'm guilty of the former for most of my consumption.

Jesus said, "why accuse your fellow human of participating in Empire when you are just as blindly complicit?" (my paraphrase). And I have to answer, "because it's easier to point the finger than seriously critique my own participation in Empire". It's time to stop that.

Martin Luther King Jr wrote in his famous Letter from Birmingham Prison that there are four phases to a nonviolent campaign: 1. collect the facts and decide if there is injustice going on. 2. negotiate with the relevant decision makers 3. spend time in "self-purification", and 4. engage in nonviolent direct action. I actually think that the beginning point is number 3 - "self-purification". When we are able to stand outside of the reaches of Empire, even for just a moment, we begin to percieve the injustices that we are complicit with, either passively or actively. At that point we are able to begin investigations, try to pursuade others to change and, if necessary, make the crisis of Empire so clear through nonviolent actions that change will become necessary (like the recent Avaaz.org campaign to prevent the increase in whale killing). But the key is self-purification.

Self-purification is not some high-faluting saint-like attainment. It is about reaching for the highest values that humans can attain, but humbly recognising how far off we are. Self-purification seeks awareness of all that binds us to Empire, whether it be job, status, education, possessions, area/zip code, make and model of car you drive. When we become aware of these sticking points, even temporarily, we are better able to see things from a bigger perspective. With compassion. What Empire is like for those not at the center and not connected to me? For the environment? For our families? It's not easy to do and I'm certain I've never attained perfect purification. But that, I don't think, is the point. Perfection is not the point. Rather, a gradual opening up of our awareness to how my life affects my neighbour's life, even if that neighbour is on the other side of the planet and I never ever meet her.

Gandhi used the word satyagraha, truth force, to help people understand that resisting an Empire requires a strong grasping on to the truth. Not just truth as in facts, but truth as in compassionate relationships. Satyagraha was the outward actions of defeating the British Empire. But it was also the struggle to ensure that those actions did not alienate the British, but allow them to leave as friends. And it worked. On both counts.

Islam has a similar understanding. It's called jihad, or struggle. The media feeds us jihad all the time as a militant islamic practice. However, jihad is first and foremost the inner struggle with Self. The Prophet, PBUH, called this the greater jihad.

The result of all this self-purification of mine is a growing desire to know the impacts of my life choices, as well as a growing list of potential new ways of living that resist Empire on a personal level. Gandhi is well known for his marches to the salt fields and facing down British military might, he is less well known for the constructive alternatives to Empire that he promoted. Village self-sufficiency was a huge part of what he called "constructive programme". His centerpiece was the charkha, or spinning wheel. Both tactically and symbolically it was genius. The British Raj organised the cloth trade so that India relied on cloth made in Manchester. It kept over a million textile workers in employment. But it kept 300 million Indians in dire poverty. He asked each Indian to spend half an hour or so spinning, carding and weaving their own cotton and cloth. It created massive self-reliance and employment in India. It demolished the English textile industry, but the workers were so convinced of the justice of Gandhi's approach they whole-heartedly supported it. So I'm looking for my own "charkha", that symbol of resisting empire which is at the same time practical and constructive. I also like the symbolism of the wheel, but I have no idea how to spin wool or cotton. But I have a bike. And bikes have wheels - two of them. Riding my bike reduces my reliance on oil. Oil is the life-blood of Empire. It's a start. But there's more bikes can do. The energy inherent in a bike (pedal power) can power lights, recharge batteries and run computers. So I've searched the net and come up with some designs for phone recharger from recycled materials and a bike-powered home generator, (2) and (3). I'm itching to give them a try, even though I'm no electrician.

I am also researching the product lifecycle of the technology I use (nokia mobile phone, hp laptop, Palm TX, the internet - the servers that keep it going and store this blog for you to read, cloud computing, ebooks, etc) and for ways to reduce the environmental impact of these while I use them (eg using human-powered generators to power them). There are some interesting and useful resources on the 'net. A Greenpeace report on computer, phone and game-console manufacturers rates how well they work towards products that reduce or eliminate toxic chemicals, pvc plastic and carbon footprints. There's more research to be done: labour practices throughout the component cycle of mineral extraction, manufacture and retail, etc.

The key to being prophetic is not being noisy, but practical. It's one thing to shout and yell "Empire is Evil", but what is the alternative, and is it liveable? I see this as part of my experiment with truth, of self-purification and inner satyagraha and my greater jihad.