Racism, gand capitalism in conflict: the expanding global crisis

This is the theme which permeates the whole study. Dr Paul argues that:

Racism best describes the major process at work that shapes Australian society in the sense that it generates and empowers practices and behaviour that creates victims and victimizers, distrust and hatred for others. (p. 86)

He continues:

Racism dehumanizes others and imposes sharp inequalities in life opportunities and outcomes.

Dr Paul’s book is organized into three major clearly developed but overlapping Sections, titled ‘Emancipation and Genuine Democracy’, ‘Racism as Nationalism and Capitalism’ and ‘Australia’s Existential Crisis’, each with a number of headed internal sub-sections. Although the Sections could stand alone as major thematic essays, common threads of interpretation and advocacy give them an even greater impact as an integrated whole.

The writing style is clear and to the point, and all the major concepts and issues discussed are precisely defined. Quotations of varying length and quantitative data sets are liberally used throughout, and the ideas presented by the extensive range of authors consulted are clearly enunciated.

Moreover, this is a thoroughly scholarly disquisition. The source of all the material used is fully documented with in-text references, and each section ends with a full set of References.

Interdisciplinarity is a major strength of this study. It incorporates current theory and practice from political economy, government and international relations, geopolitics, peace and conflict studies, human security studies and environment studies, as well as other relevant areas. In some of these areas, boundaries between disciplines are blurred anyway. The broad historical context of various issues is briefly indicated where appropriate. Otherwise, most of the material being presented and analysed is contemporary and significant.

It is fully up to date with the information and interpretations being offered by other scholars and the media. And the whole enterprise is timely. Indeed, the book imparts a strong sense of urgency about the need to confront escalating dangers.

Interestingly, since the manuscript of this book went to the publishers in late 2019, the whole world has had to confront escalating dangers. Nothing accelerates the process of beating the nation-state drum, closing borders and regimenting society quite as much as a global medical crisis. The current novel coronavirus outbreak was deliberately labelled COVID-19 on 11 February by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to avoid reference to any geographical location, animal or people, ‘to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing.’ Notwithstanding, national, racial and religious stereotyping and blaming quickly became open and aggressive, by individuals, organisations and governments. The ‘blame-game’ intensified after 11 March, when the WHO, ‘deeply concerned’ by both the rapid world-wide spread and severity of the outbreak and the ‘alarming levels of inaction’, declared the international public health crisis had become a ‘pandemic’.

American leaders labelled the illness as ‘foreign’, ‘Wuhan’ and/or ‘Chinese’ coronavirus. Chinese leaders, after asserting ‘We condemn this despicable practice’, proceeded to sow doubt about the origin of the virus and even claim it was introduced to China by American soldiers on exercise there. Kevin Rudd, now the head of the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, condemned this ‘juvenile political name calling’ and asserted: ‘Degenerating into separate nationalist and racial groups at a time like this is exactly what we don’t need.’ Nonetheless, as nation-states retreated into self-quarantine and isolation, playing politics with the pandemic became endemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has ramped up nationalism, racism, sectarianism, class conflict, age-based discrimination, anti-social greed and selfishness and government surveillance and regimentation. It has also highlighted the inequalities of life opportunities (literally) and undermined community cohesion. The benefits and drawbacks of global interconnectivity have been highlighted in almost every aspect of social, economic, political, religious and cultural life. A harsh light has been shone on the quality of worldwide political leadership, and the results are unflattering, to say the least. The full ramifications of the crisis have barely emerged, but will have a long-lasting impact. This is the world and these are the contending forces that Erik Paul’s study dissects and critiques, and to which he offers a challenging and far superior alternative.