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78 Politics in a Small World

states are independent in name only; in fact, they are protectorates of
large, wealthy, and internationally prominent states that have as their aim
“ the maintenance of order over barbarian threat ” (Ignatieff, 2003 : 22).
Following military action in these countries, the US and its allies have
planned to re - build nations quickly, from the top - down, with minimal
engagement from local political fi gures and citizens. This approach to
building stable and satisfactory democratic states cannot succeed, but
neither will long - term occupation. States may be internationalizing,
making “ sovereignty ” a highly contested issue, but in the twenty - fi rst
century, imperialism will always meet strong opposition because national
self - determination remains the only legitimate form of political rule for
virtually everyone around the world, especially where it is threatened by
the military force of other states, or where national independence has long
been an as yet unrealized dream.

2.3 We Are the World?

So far in this chapter, we have looked at the politics of globalization in
terms of restructuring the economy, the state, and relations between states.

We have also touched on the continuing significance of “ the nation ” as
meaningful to many across the world. In this section, we look directly at
what politics in a small world might mean for political community.
“ Political community ” has been synonymous with “ nation ” in democratic
politics since the American and French revolutions of the eighteenth
century, denoting a horizontal sense of “ we ” who belong together, and a
vertical relationship to the state through which the rules by which we live
together, sharing a common fate, are made and, ultimately, enforced.
Nation - states carefully, and very successfully, fostered political communi-
ties as “ national ” in relation to rule - setting state regulation through educa-
tion and propaganda, the control of media and the celebration of historical
memory in national festivals, museums and so on (Gellner, 1983 ).
The very use of the phrase “ political community ” rather than the word
“ nation, ” then, opens up questions regarding “ who ” : who shares a fate,
and who decides “ our ” collective life? Indeed, with the transformation of
the state, especially as it is accompanied by the growth of global media,
we might expect new possibilities of political community beyond the
nation. In this section, we are concerned with the “ horizontal ” relations
of political community, rather than with structures of governance, though
of course they are related. Does the idea that “ we are the world ” remain
no more than a slogan? There does seem to be increased awareness of