Reclaiming Freedom for the Left 2--Freedom and International Affairs

The ‘traditional’ left-wing position on international affairs revolved around two principles: internationalism and self-determination. The current left-wing position is defined by a generic anti-imperialism and a defense of global civil society. It is not clear that these current positions either diagnose the most serious threats to freedom globally (i.e. ‘empire’) nor present the most attractive alternative (global civil society). The purpose of this panel is to think through what it means to defend freedom in international affairs today by reflecting on the prevailing position in light of ‘traditional’ left-wing internationalism. The concern is that ‘global civil society,’ while helpfully asserting the very broad idea of cosmopolitan human solidarity, is ultimately apolitical, eschewing the quest for power itself. It undermines internationalism and self-determination, and thus, in our view, a vision of international affairs that links up with the quest for human emancipation. These concerns will be addressed concretely in two ways: 1) by exploring how the left should conceptualize and critique recent U.S. interventionist practices (such as in Libya); and 2) by addressing the role and political purpose of cross-national solidarities with respect to local democratic movements.