Introduction
In "Understanding Power," Peter R. Mitchell takes readers on a thought-provoking journey through the complex landscape of power in America. This book explores how power has been wielded throughout history, examining both its positive potential and its darker aspects. Mitchell delves into four key areas where power dynamics play a crucial role: activism, education, poverty, and social policy.
The discussions in this book are primarily based on events and observations from the 1980s and 1990s. While much has changed since then, understanding the historical context of power can help us become more aware of its current manifestations and potential future impacts. By examining these power dynamics, Mitchell aims to shed light on the often opaque world of political decision-making and empower readers to think critically about the forces shaping their lives.
The Power of the People
One of the most compelling aspects of Mitchell's analysis is his exploration of the power held by ordinary citizens. In an age where it often feels like all the power is concentrated in the hands of a select few, it's easy to become disillusioned and feel powerless. However, Mitchell argues that the collective voice of the people has more influence than we might think.
Vietnam War vs. Central America: A Tale of Two Conflicts
To illustrate this point, Mitchell contrasts two periods of U.S. military action: the Vietnam War in the 1960s and the interventions in Central America during the 1980s. During the Vietnam War, public opposition existed, but it had limited access to media channels. This allowed President Kennedy to pursue aggressive military action with relatively little pushback.
Fast forward to the 1980s, and the landscape had changed dramatically. When President Reagan wanted to intervene in Central America, he faced a much more skeptical public. The generation that had grown up during the Vietnam War was now adults, and they had witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of that conflict. Many had lost loved ones in a war fought far from home, and they had begun to question the validity of such military actions.
As a result, Reagan couldn't simply send troops into Guatemala as Kennedy had done in Vietnam. He knew there would be widespread public resistance. Instead, he had to resort to covert operations, using foreign advisors and counter-insurgency agents to carry out his agenda. While this still resulted in significant loss of life – an estimated 100,000 people were killed – the death toll would likely have been much higher if Reagan had been able to deploy troops directly.
The Power of Public Dissent
This shift in approach demonstrates the power of public dissent. The government feared the voice of the people because they knew it could cost them their positions. This fear of public backlash has become a constant presence in democratically elected governments, leading to increased secrecy and attempts to control information.
Mitchell points out that when classified documents are made public after 30 years in the U.S., they rarely contain sensitive security information. Instead, they often reveal information that the government wanted to keep hidden from the public to avoid criticism or resistance.
The Illusion of Necessary Secrecy
Governments have long used the illusion of necessary secrecy as a tool to maintain control over their populations. By creating a sense of fear about external threats, leaders can encourage obedience and loyalty among their citizens. This technique dates back to ancient times – Mitchell cites the historian Herodotus, who wrote about how the institution of royalty was created to shroud power in mystery, making it seem beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
The Impact of Activism
While it may be difficult to quantify the exact impact of public dissent, Mitchell argues that its effects are significant. The level of secrecy a government feels it needs is often a reflection of the strength of activism in that country. Even if we can't always see the direct results, public opposition to government actions has likely saved countless lives by forcing leaders to be more cautious and less overtly aggressive in their military actions.
The Power of Educational Institutions
Mitchell's analysis of the power wielded by educational institutions is particularly eye-opening. He argues that schools and universities play a crucial role in shaping society, often in ways that serve the interests of those in power rather than the students themselves.
Schools as Assembly Lines
Mitchell shares an anecdote about a friend who immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager and attended a well-regarded high school in New York. This friend observed that the school seemed more concerned with punctuality than academic achievement. Being late by just three minutes would result in a trip to the principal's office, while getting a C grade when capable of more went unnoticed.
This focus on obedience and efficiency, Mitchell argues, is characteristic of most schools. The primary goal is not to encourage critical thinking or intellectual curiosity, but to prepare students for their future roles as compliant workers. Even academically gifted students are controlled by the emphasis on results and grades, discouraging them from challenging the material or thinking independently.
Universities and Funding Dependencies
At the university level, the power dynamics become even more complex. Mitchell points out that most U.S. universities are not self-supporting and rely on funding from the government, wealthy alumni, and corporations. This dependency creates a situation where universities must cater to the interests of their funders to maintain support.
As a result, universities often foster certain values and cultures that align with their funders' interests. Mitchell gives the example of a passionate civil rights activist studying law at Harvard who might feel pressure to tone down their activism and conform to a more corporate image to impress potential employers from Wall Street firms. Over time, this pressure can lead to the activist being absorbed into the dominant culture, serving it unquestioningly.
Curriculum Control and Knowledge Fragmentation
Another way educational institutions exert power is through curriculum control and the fragmentation of knowledge. Mitchell argues that universities often exclude certain subjects from curricula or divide disciplines in ways that make particular lines of inquiry difficult or impossible.
For example, if a student wanted to study why Japan has a more efficient system of state coordination compared to the U.S., they might struggle to find a suitable department. Economics focuses on abstract models, political science on electoral statistics, anthropology on far-off cultures, and sociology on crime patterns. This fragmentation makes it challenging to pursue interdisciplinary research that might challenge existing power structures.
Mitchell suggests that this is not accidental but strategic. By limiting certain types of inquiry, universities protect themselves and their funding sources from potentially disruptive ideas or actions.
The Power of Poverty
Mitchell's exploration of the power dynamics surrounding poverty offers a sobering look at how economic deprivation can be used as a tool of control, both domestically and internationally.
Nicaragua and U.S. Foreign Policy
Mitchell uses the example of Nicaragua in the late 1970s and early 1980s to illustrate how poverty can be weaponized in international relations. After the Sandinista revolution ended decades of dictatorship in Nicaragua, the new government began implementing health and social programs to aid recovery. This made the U.S. nervous, as they feared other impoverished countries in the region might be inspired to follow suit, potentially threatening U.S. dominance.
As a result, President Reagan canceled U.S. aid to Nicaragua in 1981. This example shows how maintaining poverty in certain countries can serve the interests of powerful nations. Mitchell argues that the U.S. economy benefits significantly from poverty in the third world, as it provides cheap offshore labor that stocks American stores with affordable products and generates profits for corporations.
Domestic Poverty in the U.S.
But poverty isn't just an issue in developing countries. Mitchell points out that in the early 1990s, 30 million people in America experienced extreme hunger and malnutrition, with 40 percent of children in New York City living below the poverty line.
To understand how this situation arose, Mitchell looks back to the Great Depression. Before 1929, immigrants to America could often improve their circumstances through hard work in factories, slowly lifting their families out of poverty. However, the Great Depression ended this possibility, and the post-World War II economic structure made it even harder for new immigrants to climb the economic ladder.
The Impact of Economic Shifts
Mitchell explains that post-WWII economic growth in the U.S. was largely driven by state-funded, tech-based industries, particularly those benefiting the military. While this kept the economy profitable, these industries were generally inaccessible to newly arrived immigrants and didn't offer the same opportunities for advancement as the factories of the pre-Depression era.
Additionally, the rapid mechanization of agriculture in the South led to job losses for many Black workers, who then migrated to northern cities along with immigrants from Latin America. However, the widespread automation of manual labor meant there were limited job opportunities in these urban areas.
The Cycle of Poverty and Exploitation
This situation creates a cycle where poverty in the third world is exploited to serve the U.S. economy through cheap offshore labor, while simultaneously contributing to poverty and unemployment at home. The result is a system that benefits corporations and the wealthy while trapping many in a cycle of poverty both domestically and internationally.
The Power of Social Policy
Mitchell's examination of social policy reveals how laws and regulations can be used to target specific populations and maintain existing power structures.
The War on Drugs and Mass Incarceration
One of the most striking examples Mitchell provides is the so-called "war on drugs" and its impact on incarceration rates in the U.S. By the mid-1980s, under President Reagan, the U.S. had the highest per capita prison population in the world, with the jail population tripling during his presidency.
Mitchell argues that this wasn't an accident but the result of policies designed to target specific populations. The war on drugs, for instance, focused primarily on poor inner-city areas rather than wealthy suburbs, despite drug use being prevalent in both. People in these targeted areas were often charged with simple possession, sometimes of just small amounts of marijuana, rather than more serious offenses like dealing or importing.
Racial Disparities in Incarceration
The racial disparities in these incarcerations were stark. Mitchell cites a 1996 report showing that for every 100 people of color sentenced to jail for drug-related crimes, only one white person was incarcerated. This disproportionately affected Black people and those from Latin American backgrounds, many of whom were descendants of families who had migrated to cities in search of work generations earlier.
The Economics of Incarceration
Mitchell points out the economic incentives behind this mass incarceration. Building and operating prisons stimulates the economy at the taxpayer's expense. Construction companies are paid to build more jails, these facilities need to be operated and maintained, and lawyers and other professionals benefit from the surplus of work.
Corporate Involvement and Lack of Accountability
Interestingly, Mitchell notes that while many people were being incarcerated for drug possession, those responsible for producing the chemicals used to manufacture these drugs were rarely held accountable. He cites a CIA estimate from the 1980s suggesting that 90% of chemical exports to Latin America were likely being used for drug production. However, the executives of the chemical corporations responsible for these exports were not the ones filling the jails.
This discrepancy highlights how social policies can be designed to target certain populations while protecting others, often along lines of race and class.
The Power of Critical Thinking
Throughout "Understanding Power," Mitchell emphasizes the importance of critical thinking and active citizenship in challenging and understanding power structures.
Questioning Authority
One of the key takeaways from Mitchell's work is the need to question authority and examine the motivations behind those in power. As seen in examples like Reagan's covert operations, governments often act in ways that are not immediately apparent to the public. By staying informed and asking critical questions, citizens can play a role in holding those in power accountable.
Overcoming Educational Conditioning
Mitchell argues that to truly challenge power structures, we must first overcome the conditioning of our education systems. Schools and universities, he suggests, often train us to be compliant thinkers rather than critical ones. By making analytical and curious thinking our default mode, we can begin to unpack the decisions, actions, and policies of those in power.
The Importance of Activism
Despite the often opaque nature of power, Mitchell's work underscores the importance of activism and public dissent. Even when it doesn't prevent harmful actions entirely, public opposition can mitigate harm and force those in power to be more cautious in their actions.
Understanding Complex Systems
Mitchell's analysis also highlights the importance of understanding complex systems and their interconnections. From the relationship between foreign and domestic poverty to the links between education, incarceration, and economic policies, power operates through intricate networks of influence. By developing a more holistic understanding of these systems, we can better identify and challenge abuses of power.
Conclusion
"Understanding Power" offers a compelling and often unsettling look at how power operates in American society. Through his exploration of activism, education, poverty, and social policy, Peter R. Mitchell reveals the often hidden ways in which power shapes our world.
The book serves as a call to action for readers to engage more critically with the power structures that surround them. It emphasizes the importance of staying informed, questioning authority, and actively participating in the democratic process. While the examples Mitchell uses are primarily from the 1980s and 1990s, the principles and patterns he identifies remain relevant today.
Understanding power is not just an academic exercise – it's a crucial skill for engaged citizenship. By recognizing how power operates, we can better navigate its influences, challenge its abuses, and work towards a more just and equitable society. Mitchell's work reminds us that while the workings of power can be complex and often discouraging, the collective voice of an informed and engaged populace remains a potent force for change.
In a world where power dynamics are constantly evolving, "Understanding Power" provides valuable tools for analysis and action. It encourages readers to look beyond surface-level explanations, to question the status quo, and to consider the broader implications of policies and decisions. By fostering a more nuanced understanding of power, Mitchell's work empowers readers to become more active participants in shaping their society and their future.