Empire Lite: Nation-Building in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan

by Michael Ignatieff

In Empire Lite , Michael Ignatieff explores both sides of what he sees as a new global empire - the imperial and the humanitarian - and argues that the international community has failed to engage intelligently with the problems of nation building in the aftermath of apocalyptic events.The collapse of political order around the world is now seen as a major threat, and a new international order is emerging, one that is crafted to suit American imperial objectives. This presents humanitarian agencies with the dilemma of how to keep their programs from being suborned to imperial interests. Yet they know that it was American air-power that made an uneasy peace and humanitarian reconstruction possible, first in Bosnia, then in Kosovo, and finally in Afghanistan.This is the new world of geopolitics we live in and must try to grasp. The vivid, cogent essays in this book attempt to understand the phenomenon of state collapse and state failure in the world's zones of danger and the gradual emergence of an American led humanitarian empire. Focussing on nation building in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, Ignatieff reveals how American military power, European money and humanitarian motive have combined to produce a form of imperial rule for a post-imperial age.Drawing on his own experiences of war zones, and with an extraordinary account of life in Afghanistan, Ignatieff identifies the illusions that make a genuine act of solidarity so difficult and asks what can be done to help people in war-torn societies enjoy the essential right to rule themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2003

About the author

Michael Grant Ignatieff is a Canadian author, academic and former politician. He was the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2008 until 2011. Known for his work as a historian, Ignatieff has held senior academic posts at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Harvard University and the University of Toronto.

Reviews

[Actually-A -Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but nuanced analysis of peacebuilding in the former Yugoslavia and Afghanistan. This book is essentially a small essay compilation, and can easily be read in a couple of hours. The author's overall point is that temporary occupations of former warzones are essentially doomed to fail, as malicious actors can simply cooperate and wait for the occupiers to leave, manipulating them for their own gain until they're gone. I don't think this quite panned out in Bosnia - the author seems very pessimistic about the country, which is now doing relatively well - but his predictions about Afghanistan turned out (in 2021) to be perfectly accurate.

Worth reading if you'd like a quick read covering a contentious area of IR.

[Don Bennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have liked more examples beyond the Balkan and Afghanistan. Including the Horn of Africa may have been useful and or extensively looking at Central or South America. This might be due for an update in light of later examples...Rwanda, Iraq, Syria....and the growing imperialism of China 🇨🇳. Still it is fairly well balanced and is willing to avoid being tied to 1 side or another.

[Jordi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro que he tenido madurando inconscientemente en un estante durante más de veinte años hasta convertirse en una cápsula del tiempo. Antaño un mosto de vaticinios y análisis contemporáneo que destila ahora aromas dispares de aciertos y erratas. A pesar del tema a priori denso, deja un paladar fresco e invita a repetir sorbos una y otra vez.

[Albert Fabregat · Rating 2 out of 5]

El autor acuña términos para demostrar que las nuevas formas de imperialismo y colonialismo se enmascaran bajo las estrategias y campañas de ayuda humanitaria.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

An apology for American empire from the man who failed to rule over her most obedient satrapy. It’s not bad for what it is. Well written but still a waste of time.