Modern Imperialism: The Four Cs Blueprint

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The United Nations headquarters building with flags on a clear day, showcasing global unity and diplomacy in New York City.

On December 10, 2024, President Joe Biden declared on Twitter:
“There is no country on Earth better positioned to lead the world in the years to come than America today.”

Biden’s words may project optimism, but they are steeped in the arrogance of an empire that refuses to confront its contradictions and war crimes. With these statements, the banner of American imperialism was raised once more—a reaffirmation of supremacy couched in the rhetoric of leadership. Behind the polished rhetoric is a historical continuum of power, conquest, and systemic subjugation.

Tweet by President Biden stating America's global leadership position, posted on December 10, 2024.

The Legacy of Imperialism

Imperialism is no recent phenomenon. It is as old as civilization itself. From the Assyrians to the Romans, from the empires of China to the conquests of Alexander the Great, history is littered with the ruins of imperial ambitions. These powers expanded their reach, subjugating peoples and exploiting resources to bolster their grandeur. Rome perfected this system, not only conquering lands but weaving them into an economic machine that enriched the imperial center while devastating the periphery.

The fall of Rome in the West did not spell the end of imperialism. The Byzantine Empire, the Islamic Caliphates, and later the colonial expansions of Portugal, Spain, and Britain carried the torch into new territories, perpetuating cycles of conquest and exploitation. By the 19th century, the Age of Exploration gave way to the Scramble for Africa, a grim chapter that cemented the global reach of imperial powers.

The 20th century saw imperialism take on new forms. From the brutalities of German and Japanese fascism to the hegemonic ambitions of the Soviet Union and the United States, the drive to dominate persisted, reshaped for modern sensibilities but rooted in the same imperial logic.

Imperialism Today: Old Wine in New Bottles

As we reflect on this history in 2024, the ideologies underpinning imperialism remain deeply entrenched. The justifications have evolved, but the core mechanisms—dehumanization, exploitation, and cultural supremacy—remain intact.

Colonialism thrived on creating an “us versus them” mentality, weaponizing cultural and religious differences to justify conquest. Indigenous peoples were stripped of their lands under doctrines like terra nullius, their existence erased by the assertion that their lands belonged to no one. Kipling’s infamous “White Man’s Burden” cloaked this violence in moralistic rhetoric, painting genocide as a civilizing mission.

Today, these dynamics play out with chilling familiarity. Gaza faces obliteration, backed by U.S. policies. Bombed communities echo past imperial atrocities. Palestinians endure starvation, homelessness, and terror while Israel operates with impunity. The international community faces a moment of reckoning, with the International Court of Justice poised to weigh allegations of genocide and the arrest warrants of Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant issued by the ICC for crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Four Cs: A Blueprint for American Hegemony

In 1910, Andrew Carnegie founded the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP), envisioning a world where diplomacy could prevent war. Over a century later, this thinks tank operates globally, with centers in Washington, Moscow, Beirut, Beijing, Brussels, and New Delhi, claiming to “advance international peace” through expert analysis and policy recommendations. The CEIP receives funding from influential private foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Ford Foundation. It portrays itself as an independent force for cooperation and global engagement, yet its actions often reflect a distinctly American agenda.

The Carnegie Endowment’s “Four Cs.” strategy disguises U.S. hegemony as multilateralism. Charters, clubs, concerts, and coalitions shape a facade of cooperation. However, these approaches only strengthen U.S. control, betraying the promise of genuine international collaboration.

Table detailing four multilateral cooperation models: Charter, Club, Concert, Coalition, with approaches and advantages.

Here are the “Four Cs” frame U.S. foreign policy strategies under the guise of multilateralism:

  1. The first is a charter conception of multilateralism, focused on the UN’s model of universal membership. Based on the UN’s universal membership, this model projects legitimacy but serves U.S. interests by dominating global institutions.
  2. The second is a club approach, which seeks to rally established democracies as the foundation for world order. Exemplified by groups like the G7, this approach rallies established democracies to enforce a Western-centric world order.
  3. The third is a concert model, which seeks comity and joint action among the world’s major powers. A directorate of major powers designed to achieve comity and joint action while sidelining less powerful nations.
  4. The fourth is a coalition,à la carte approach to cooperation, which would tailor ad hoc frameworks to each global contingency. Ad hoc alliances formed to address specific crises offer flexibility but often bypass international norms.

Each of these models claims a virtue—legitimacy, solidarity, capability, or flexibility—but ultimately serves the same purpose: advancing U.S. geopolitical dominance under the facade of collective action.

The Cost of Hegemony

Hegemony. The term holds a central place in the present discourse about the United States’ place in the world: what it has been, its sustainability, and alternative ways of formulating the country’s national interests.

The CEIP’s Four Cs offer a strategic roadmap for maintaining this hegemony, but at what cost? The wars financed by the U.S., the human suffering inflicted by sanctions, and the systemic dehumanization of entire populations expose the moral bankruptcy of this approach.

As the Biden administration draws to a close, the façade of American-led multilateralism grows increasingly transparent. In Gaza, the suffering of Palestinians under U.S.-backed policies stands as a stark reminder of the human toll of imperial ambitions. Behind the rhetoric of peace and cooperation lies a machinery designed not to solve global challenges but to perpetuate dominance.

The UN: A Compromised Arena Hostage of the Veto Power

The United Nations, often cited as a hallmark of multilateralism, reflects the power imbalance inherent in these frameworks. Its General Assembly operates on a one-state, one-vote principle, theoretically egalitarian, but ultimate authority rests with the Security Council, dominated by five permanent members wielding veto power. This structure ensures that no action contrary to their national interests can proceed, reducing the UN to a tool of the powerful rather than a true arbiter of global justice.

Under the Biden administration, this dynamic has been starkly evident. The administration’s representatives—UN Ambassador Robert Wood and UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield—have consistently championed policies that undermine genuine multilateralism. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, for instance, presided over repeated U.S. vetoes of ceasefire resolutions in Gaza, enabling Israel’s blockade and collective punishment of Palestinians.

The ICJ’s decision will force a reckoning if not justice. It will expose the fault lines of power and the moral bankruptcy of those who claim the mantle of leadership while perpetuating oppression.

Illustration of a person in a suit raising their hand, with United States of Genocides written above in bold text.
Delegate in meeting with raised arm appears illustrative, United States sign visible.
Image of text advocating #NOTATARGET, listing babies, schools, children, civilians, hospitals, humanitarians, and healthcare workers.

As the ambassador of Slovenia, Samuel Zbogar, stated on December 11, 2024, during the UN General Assembly:

“Mr. President, Gaza doesn’t exist anymore. It is destroyed. Palestinians are facing hunger, despair, and death. We have said it before. History is the harshest critic of inaction, and history is being written as we sit here today. It has been a year of misery.

The misery of the people in Israel during the Hamas attack on the 7th of October.

The misery of the hostages kept in Gaza and their families and friends waiting for their return in agony.

The misery of the people in Gaza experiencing violence, displacement, killing, hunger, and the lack of the most basic items for survival. Their suffering and agony continue as we meet today. Despite the sound of alarm bells every step of the way, the collective response system, vested primarily in the Security Council, has failed again and again.

A terrible chapter of our generation’s story—one day our history—is being written. Quite frankly, the elected members of the Security Council did not want to be a part of that history. We were elected by the membership of this Assembly with a clear mandate of the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.”

The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved resolutions on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban (UNWRA)

The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9, with 13 abstentions, to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9, with 11 abstentions, to support the agency known as UNRWA. Israel and the United States voted against the resolutions.

The decisions of the General Assembly carry the weight of world opinion on major international issues, as well as the moral authority of the world community.

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Nancy Perin

Nancy is a caring individual with a background in sociology and a strong desire to connect people. She has improved workplaces and communities with her almost two decades of experience in management teams, human resources, coaching, and community project management. Nancy has also served on the board of directors of the Italian Personnel Managers Association and participated in a humanitarian mission to Dakar, Senegal, to support family centres.

Her intercultural love story sparked her interest in migration-relatedtopics and led her to launch @journeysta, a project that aims to strengthen cultural ties between Canada and Italy.

Nancy oversees the Gallery of Human Migration and believes in the possibility of creating caring communities that are involved in the processes of welcoming, acceptance, and integration. Join her on this journey of discovery and cultural exchange.

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