Miskolc, 4-5 April 2003

Michael Hardt-Antonio Negri: Empire, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass and London, 2000

No matter how impressive the material consequences of globalization may be, it seems evident that its soft dimension, that is, the cultural expansion is at least as important in maintaining America's power. The ability to persuade others to want what we want by emphasizing the appeal of the American lifestyle is much more beneficial than military or political coercion.

Although (the majority of) the American intelligentsia, which used be considered leftist, and (most of) the media has submited themselves to the pro-war power group lead by the Bush style, neoconservative, fundamentalist-religious mission, there are progressive movements and communities in the USA, which do not join the narrow-minded "patriotic" choir and turn against the "narrathemes" defining and dominating public discourse.

Latin America pays a high price for being the Number One laboratory of neoliberal experimentation in the past quarter of a century: the area has now turned into one of the most unstable regions in both economic, political and social sense. 2003 could be a decisive year for the future of the continent.