What's the state of imperialism in the era of American Empire? Many argue that the unilateral war on terror waged by the United States proves that old-fashioned imperialism is still alive and well. After analyzing the new political order of globalization in *Empire*—an absolute critical and popular success, with tens of thousands of copies sold—in *Multitude*, Hardt and Negri argue that the opposite is true: the terrible failures of the American project confirm that the only way for the rich and powerful to preserve their interests and ensure global order is to establish broad collaboration among the dominant powers, in a new form of Empire. But this imperial peace by no means constitutes a solution for most of the world. This peace actually serves to maintain a global state of violence that has progressively permeated every aspect of our society, exacerbating hierarchies and subverting the traditional possibilities of democratic exchange. Has fear become our permanent condition, and democracy an impossible dream? Such pessimism is profoundly misguided, argue Hardt and Negri. By colonizing and increasingly interconnecting a greater number of areas of life, Empire is actually creating the possibility of a new kind of democracy. Converging into a globally networked community, diverse groups and individuals can associate in fluid matrices of resistance; no longer silent and oppressed 'masses,' they can form a multitude, with the power to forge a democratic alternative to the current world order. Overwhelming in its optimism, scope, and depth of vision, Multitude confirms Hardt and Negri as two of the most interesting and important political philosophers working in the world.
