Global Race War: International Politics and Racial Hierarchy

International Relations theory assumes that the struggle for power is not only ahistorical but that international politics is necessarily the realm of a perpetual struggle for power between states.
However, by looking beyond the state, the study of global politics may itself reveal the importance of alternative imaginaries just as historically salient as that of the state system.
In particular, this book argues that a specific racial imaginary has, over the past two centuries, cut across politically defined state boundaries to legitimate practices of genocidal violence against so-called enemy races.
Barder traces the emergence of this global racial hierarchy from the early 19th century to the present to explain how a historical racial global order unraveled over the first half of the 20th century, continued during the Cold War, and reemerged during the Global War on Terror.
Examining global politics in terms of race and racial violence reveals a different spatial topology across domestic and global politics.
Moreover, global histories of racial hierarchy and violence have important implications for understanding the continued salience of race within Western polities.
Global Race War revisits two centuries of international history to show the important consequences of a global racial imaginary that continues to reverberate across time and space.

Format: Hardback
Length: 280 pages
Publication date: 12 October 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

International Relations theory posits that the pursuit of power is not merely ahistorical, but that international politics inherently involves a perpetual struggle for dominance among states. Nevertheless, by expanding our gaze beyond the state, the study of global politics can itself unveil the significance of alternative imaginaries, just as historically significant as the state system. In particular, this book contends that a specific racial imaginary has, over the past two centuries, transcended politically defined state boundaries to justify genocidal violence against perceived enemy races.

In his book, "Global Race War," Alexander D. Barder explores how the concept of global order was built upon racial hierarchy and differentiation. Barder traces the emergence of this global racial hierarchy from the early 19th century to the present, elucidating how a historical racial global order unraveled during the first half of the 20th century, persisted during the Cold War, and reemerged during the Global War on Terror. As Barder demonstrates, imperial, racial, and geopolitical orders intersected over time in ways that violently tore apart the imperial and sovereign state system and continue to haunt politics today.

Examinating global politics through the lens of race and racial violence reveals a distinct spatial topology in both domestic and international realms. Moreover, global histories of racial hierarchy and violence hold significant implications for understanding the enduring relevance of race within Western societies. "Global Race War" revisits two centuries of international history to underscore the profound consequences of a global racial imaginary that continues to resonate across time and space.

Weight: 548g
Dimension: 163 x 243 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197535622