In a Nutshell: The Difference Between Modern Imperialism and Hardt and Negri's Empire

Modern imperialism was a span of time in history and was at the same time the glory years and even centuries of the Spaniards having colonized the Philippines and other nation-states in Latin America and the Portuguese having colonized Brazil and Macau “propelled by Gospel, Gold and Glory.” The British were also part of the imperial world having colonized Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and all other nation-states in Africa. At the time of modern imperialism, there was a use of military force in pacifying territories that eventually became Spanish, Portuguese, and British colonies. The colonizers at the time of imperialism defined boundaries in their captured territories. These demarcations defined the extent the colonizers could exploit their colony’s resources and no other colonizer may barge into their territories. Imperialism entails an occupation force that includes violence and thus there is resistance. Though the Spaniards then may have employed benevolent assimilation with the Filipinos, there were still revolts and resistance attributed to nationalism because of several factors - such as the influx of liberal ideas, the opening of Manila to world trade during the Spanish era which had allowed Rizal, del Pilar and the other illustrados to study overseas.

On the other hand, Hardt and Negri’s Empire is a period of heightened globalization and cultural diffusion. The United States today no longer capture territories with the use of military force. America colonizes the world ideologically through media, cultural diffusion and through capitalism. Instead of capturing countries through invasion or war, America captures the world by modifying and shaping what resides in people’s consciousness through what they see in television or in the internet. The colonizing becomes de-territorialized. It materializes over just anything, the clothes we wear, the way we express ourselves, and even in the sodas we drink. Mcdonalds, Apple and Coca-cola have already colonized the world. MTV and Hollywood movies have already in one way or another shaped our consciousness, our biases that construct our perspectives. In contrast to imperialism, America at the time of Empire doesn’t employ an occupation force. Rather, the U.S. subtlety shape the minds of the people by introducing them to what is “pleasant” such as burgers, fries, sundaes, chocolates, shampoo, whitening soaps, and even iPods, iPads and iPhones. And who among us Filipinos would not (in the words of Antonio Gramsci) consent to such things of the “good life”? There is no such resistance to Empire.