Post Colonialism In America

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The term ‘postcolonial’ has been used in reference to a condition that succeeds colonial rule (Sidaway 2000). A definition as such could be argued as rather misleading in light of the fact that majority of nations involved are still culturally and economically subordinated. This essay, with reference to Sidaway (2000) and Orwell (1936), will make obvious the multiple postcolonial conditions that allow for the continuation of coercion and will further delineate the different categories of imperialism and colonialism. In addition to this deficient definition, ‘postcolonial’ also signifies a set of theoretical perspectives of which the associated limiting factors and benefits will be explored (Sidaway 2000). To fully understand this highly contested…show more content…
Furthermore, postcolonialism could be argued as rather a renewed culture of imperialism (Sidaway 2012). Imperialism, being an ideology or belief system, gets imported to these ‘third world’ states, allowing for the idea of domination to be born. The postcolonial era has seen to a shift from a state-centric imperialism to that of an ultra imperialism, where multinational corporations and finance are instead in control. It has even led to debates as to whether states such as the USA should be termed neo-imperial rather than postcolonial (Sidaway 2012). Additionally, ultra imperialism allowed for the emergence of a new hegemony being transnational-liberalism, which has led to the deregulation of markets and the creation of the 1970s structural adjustment program. The latter has received much criticism for its imperial nexus. Ultimately, within ultra imperialism the power of rule sits with capital and new western interventions, including the IMF and World Bank, which bear considerable resemblance to classic nineteenth-century colonial wars (Sidaway 2012:…show more content…
It has been argued that too much importance has been denoted to colonialism, and too little to events that make up history before the regime. This weakens its credibility, as the colonial era is not the central feature of societies with longer historical trajectories, and as a result we need to explore alternative histories and forms of knowledge (Sidaway 2012). Furthermore, in light of the above-mentioned postcolonial conditions, it becomes increasingly evident that postcolonial critique needs to be alert to the continued fact of imperialism if it is to be effective (Sidaway 2012). It also needs to be uncontainable in terms of challenging and dismantling established assumptions and norms that have materialized as a result of colonial structures and ‘western superiority’. When this is not the case, postcolonial critique is viewed as too rash a formulation and is described as too totalizing. If it seeks to attain the ‘whole-truth’ or attempts to ‘map’ the ‘postcolonial’, it becomes inherently contradictory as it opposes its fundamental goals and objectives. It instead becomes a reproduction of the epistemological drive of the colonial project itself. Despite challenging grand narratives, postcolonial critique cannot simply reject colonial discourse and declare victory (Sidaway 2012: 606). Instead postcolonial critiques should open layers of questions regarding
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