A review by youeatdogfood
Empire of Borders: The Expansion of the Us Border Around the World by Todd Miller

5.0

5 stars. Ooophfft. What a fantastic book, so well written and so throughly researched. Truly a must read, especially considering current world events. This book is a really compelling piece of work, an exploration of the evolving nature of US borders, extending far beyond its territorial limits. Miller unveils the intricate web of border enforcement practices, revealing the expansive reach of resources and agents into regions like Israel, the Caribbean, Central America, and beyond. The book moves beyond the common and expected focus on a US-Mexico wall, shedding light on the global impact of heightened border security measures.

Miller’s narrative investigative journalism exposes the consequences of “extreme vetting” practices - which refers to an intensified and thorough screening process applied to people seeking entry into a country, involving more rigorous scrutiny of applicants’ backgrounds, personal histories, and affiliations, w the aim to assess potential security risks and ensure that those entering the country align w its policies and values (however cooked those policies and values may be) - questioning their impact on fundamental freedoms. By examining cases in Syria, Guatemala, Kenya, Palestine, Mexico, the Philippines, and more, he argues that borders serve as the frontline in a global struggle against class and race inequality, challenging the naive notion that they inherently make the world safer.

He also delves into a network of international security partnerships, visiting border facilities across the globe and interviewing both those providing security services and those subjected to them. The book highlights the interconnectedness of border enforcement w military and covert intelligence strategies, drawing parallels w historical experiences in handling insurrections in post-colonial eras. The book emphasises the enormity of this global endeavour, exposing the multifaceted dimensions and consequences of the expanding border regime.

Moreover, there was one quote towards the beginning of the book that rocked me, and it was this:

“Indeed, the justification for this U.S. global border building can be found in two sentences of the 1,000-page 9/11 Commission Report, published in 2003:

‘9/11 has taught us that terrorism against Americans “over there” should be regarded just as we regard terrorism against Americans “over here.” In this same sense the American homeland is the planet’.”

The quote implies that threats to USAmerican interests, citizens, or security anywhere in the world are seen as direct concerns fr the US. And consequently, the justification fr extending border enforcement, security partnerships, and surveillance efforts globally stems frm the idea that defending the USAmerican homeland involves securing not just domestic territory but also interests and individuals across the entire planet.

The bit that stood out the most, likely quite obviously, was the view of the US homeland as being the “planet”; this being the thing that has, throughout history, repeatedly and violently justified and influenced the extensive reach of US border enforcement measures beyond its physical borders. To expand on this, we must always consider historical contexts like colonialism and the potential for USAmericentric perspectives. Fr one, perceiving the entire world as an extension of the US homeland evokes aggressive colonialist attitudes, more specifically cultural imperialism and exploitation. A worldview that positions the entire planet as an extension of one nation - a predominately white, rich, industrialised, and western nation at that - is cultural imperialism; USAmerican values and norms are assumed to be superior and universal, perpetuating a homogenising influence that erodes the identities, freedoms, autonomy, and independence of other nations and peoples. Such a perspective reinforces USAmerican exceptionalism, fostering the belief that the US has a superior role in the world  further contributing to the sense of entitlement many USAmericans experience and tendency to prioritise US interests, however violent they may be, over those of other nations.