The global solidarity movement, disparagingly projected as the ‘anti-globalization’ movement is a case in point. Centered on universal human challenges like poverty-reduction, access to basic healthcare, free education for all children, social welfare for the disadvantaged, etc, the global solidarity movement presents an alternative operative framework to the global capitalist project. In a few decades time, it is plausible that this more pragmatic form of social organization might have quelled American hegemony in economic, cultural and political domains and might have eliminated the need for economic globalization. (Zakaria, 1999, p.9) The brewing discontent with the excesses of capitalism have spawned a new ideological alternative – consistent with the Hegelian notion of the dialectic. This promising counter-current has Marxist underpinnings to it, but it would be simplistic to term it as a throwback to the failed experiment with communism or socialism. While retaining the essence of socialism, Third-World solidarity movement attempts to cater to humankind’s basic necessities in an atmosphere of co-operation and collaboration as opposed to exploitation. (Zakaria, 1999, p.9)
The leaders of this movement (most of whom are from the Global South) argue that it is not necessary to just have an alternative ideology to eradicate current injustices. Instead, people across the world need to show great resolution to challenge capitalist power structures and concomitant ideologies. What is also needed are a community of like-minded people who are willing to work conscientiously and in the spirit of social solidarity to usher in the changes. The keywords in this project are organization, mobilization, compassion and solidarity – concepts that are antagonistic to the notion of hegemony (American or otherwise). (Tyvela, 2004, p.156)
It is encouraging to see that parallel grassroots movements are rising in different countries simultaneously. For example, we are witnessing grossroots organizations in India, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, South East Asia, Bangladesh, etc. The recent uprisings in the Arab world, where autocratic regimes that supported and promoted American hegemony were shaken (and in the case of Egypt, overthrown from power). The inspiration for a benign alternative to American hegemony also gets backing from the history of political ideas. While, “Marxists share the assumption that democratic control from below requires unity, the idea of political unity dates back to Plato and was affirmed in Rousseau’s “general will”. This ethos was captured by the French Revolution slogan “A nation one and indivisible.”” (Laxer, 1995, p.287) While modern technological innovations as the Internet have aided easy communication between people, they haven’t yet created a “sense of common destiny, shared memories and continuity between generations, the essential subjective components of national cultures. There is no global state to foster a global identity. Diversity is evident everywhere. Is it possible to develop social solidarities that cut across diverse loyalties and multiple identities? Can there be unity in diversity?” (Laxer, 1995, p.288)
It is only by answering the above set of questions that one an ascertain if a viable alternative to American hegemony could be constructed and sustained. But, going back to the topic question, the answer is plain and obvious. Not only is there any rationale for the continuation of American hegemony in the rest of the world, there are also strong arguments in favor of alternative global economic organization. More broadly, hegemony as a political science term is used with negative connotations. And hence it follows that hegemony of any form and by any agency is to condemned and discouraged, rather then supported and promoted. America might be the only global power capable of dominating other countries directly or indirectly. It is also heavily invested in the neo-liberal project, which in essence is a form of imperialism. But such facts do not qualify as ‘reasons’ for the promotion of either hegemony nor global capitalism.