Right now, life feels very hectic. With the prices of everything rising, hundreds of thousands of Black people losing their jobs, and the rise of racial attacks in politics, including getting rid of DEI initiatives, it feels like life for many Americans is on the brink of collapse. That can seem scary, or could it be a sign of hope toward a better future? Let’s talk about it.
Amid all that is going on, Butch Ware, a Black professor, activist, and candidate for governor of California, holds a more optimistic view of life in the United States. He shared his outlook with Michael Mezzatesta, founder of Better Future Media, on his podcast to explain why the chaotic state of politics and economics could be just what the United States needs to transform the American empire.
In the episode, Ware spoke about the current political and economic climate in America. He discussed how a potential collapse of the United States empire could become the building blocks for a better future.
“What we are experiencing now is the extinction burst of the American Empire because the caged animal is going to escalate, and they’re gonna try to desperately cling to resources,” he said. “So, that’s why you see these fascist movements; they all move the same way because they’re trying to cling onto resources as there’s a crisis in imperial capitalism.”
Making his point clearer, Ware referenced historical empires that have since collapsed and been transformed.
“We’re witnessing the death of the last white supremacist empire,” Ware said. “Portuguese in the 15th century, Spanish into the early 16th. The Dutch, the French, the British and then, after World War II, the U.S. Empire. So we have to expect that there’s going to be a lot of noise and a lot of disruption and a resurgence in fascism. We’re going back to the bloody roots of settler colonialism, and we’re seeing all of that unfolding.”
Pointing to the war with Iran, Ware added that it would only accelerate the downfall of the U.S. empire, considering that all the past empires he referenced hastened their collapse by trying to establish new militaries abroad. But instead of worrying that an economic and political collapse could harm the average U.S. citizen, Ware thinks it is an opportunity to consider what should be built on the rubble of a “dying empire.”
“I think that what we build on it is something that is not rooted in extractive imperial capitalism. I think that it is something that is rooted in care instead of cages; I think that it’s rooted in environmental sustainability instead of extraction. I think that we have a chance to green the globe, quite literally,” he added.
As a member of the Green Party of the United States, Ware’s political stances focus on environmental issues, a sustainable way of living, supporting universal healthcare, immigration rights, and ensuring minorities are well supported and represented in government, according to the Green Party of the United States website.
Ware added that he believes Americans—Californians specifically—could change the trajectory of American history by taking part in government elections and voting for candidates who represent non-imperialist values.
“My bet is that Californians are progressive enough to want to start that vision here.”
In the TikTok comments of the podcast clip, users agreed with Ware, writing that they are ready to start building toward a different America.
“Yes. Excited to build something new on the ashes of empire,” wrote one user.
“America is not dying. We are recalibrating and the new movement will eventually be more powerful and more inclusive,” added another.
A third commenter wrote that they will be ready to move back to America once they start seeing change: “I’ll move back after this happens.”
Watch the full episode below:
