Son[i]a #412
Vijay Prashad

Vijay Prashad is a Marxist historian, editor, and journalist. He directs Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Global South Insights and recently published Hyper-Imperialism: A Dangerous Decadent New Stage (2024), which explores the insidious resurgence of imperialist dynamics now threatening the Global North.

In Hyper-Imperialism, Prashad argues that the current phase of global power dynamics is shaped by entrenched imperial structures. He contends that under U.S. leadership, the Global North—rooted in a shared colonial past—continues to assert its dominance over the global economy, not only through military alliances like NATO and the G-7, but also via subtler ideological networks. This new stage of imperialism is shaped, in part, by the modernization of hybrid warfare, including tactics like lawfare, hyper-sanctions, and the seizure of national reserves and assets, all forms of non-military warfare. Additionally, new technological tools of surveillance and targeted communication in the digital age are deployed to control the battle of ideas and maintain imperialist influence. Meanwhile, the Global South, a more fluid and less centralized geopolitical space, sees emerging powers like China steadily eroding the North’s once unchallenged hegemony. In response, the West intensifies its strategies of control, relying on military expenditure, intelligence operations, and a web of sanctions and coercive diplomacy. In this shifting landscape, the need for genuine collaboration between nations is more pressing than ever, as the cracks in the system become more visible, and the frameworks of charity and international cooperation expose their inherent contradictions, revealing the broader decay of democracy. As a result, the system increasingly channels its efforts through the mechanisms it has most at hand—culture, to control truth, and war, to maintain dominance.

In his podcast, Vijay Prashad emphasizes the power of storytelling, expressing emotion as he critiques imperialism and raises awareness about war. While disagreeing with hyper-imperialism, he acknowledges the uncertain material conditions that underpin conservative ideologies. Reflecting on Palestinian oppression, he thoughtfully revisits the intertwined histories of European colonialism and antisemitism, with a particular focus on the German context. Though fatigued by dishonest discourse, he finds hope in the dissent of younger generations and the socially constructed courage they embody. And despite attempts at silencing, he embraces the defiant spirit of protest, rallying behind the cry: ¡No pasarán!