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ANGLOSPHERE: THE RESURRECTION All the features that distinguished and were pioneered by the The divisions within the Commonwealth, particularly between Round Table—including exclusive membership, private off-the- the former dominions with large Anglo-Saxon populations and the record meetings, financial support from the business community, a former colonies where most of the population is indigenous, have focus on changing elite rather than popular opinion and a high-pro- not gone unnoticed by those seeking a reprise of the Rhodes-Milner _ file periodical—have been adopted by countless other organisations vision of a racially and culturally homogenous federation. In the around the world. Perhaps the most important of these organisa- 1950s and 1960s, for example, a number of federalists proposed tional successors to the Round Table include the Council on consolidating the Anglo-Saxon members of the Commonwealth. Foreign Relations, Chatham House, the Trilateral Commission, the One Canadian supporter suggested forming a "CANZUK Union", Bilderbergers and the World Economic Forum. comprising Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United It is therefore a bitter irony of history that the Round Table Kingdom."* organisation, a posthumous product of Rhodes money and idealism, The real initiative, though, has been taken by those seeking to which still exists and still publishes its periodical, should be so mar- resurrect the original Rhodes-Stead dream of the unification of the ginalised at a time when the idea which motivated its founders has United States with the British Empire. Since found new life. But this probably reflects the the 1990s an increasing number of Anglo- fundamental reality that formation and objec- Saxon enthusiasts on both sides of the tives of the Round Table were in fact "an Atlantic have called for a "grouping that is admission of weakness". According to natural rather than artificial" through "some Norman Rose in his book The Cliveden Set: form of unity between countries of the same It reflected a widespread premonition that legal and political—and linguistic and cultur- Britain was falling behind in the great power al—traditions..." Robert Conquest of the Perhaps the most race. Anxious to keep up with the future Hoover Tastitution, for example, endorsed the important of these giants, Germany and ne United States, their merging of the US with Britain, Australia, sas projects were designed to preserve in time a New Zealand and Canada into an "English- organisational SUCCESSOIS | status that was fast disappearing—as it hap - Speaking Union". w ich would act as a to the Round Table pened, forever. on eailane their game model and centre from which the eventua . . plan was doomed to failure ...Dominion progress of the entire world may proceed".'® include the Council on nationalism was on the rise...Nor would it Other advocates include the now-disgraced Foreign Relations, fade away...it flowered, leading the media mogul Conrad Black, political Commonwealth down a different road commentator John O'Sullivan, policy Chatham House, the from that intended by Curtis and his fol - Trilateral Commission, analyst John Hulsman, and journalist lowers..." James Bennett. The objective is known . By the time the Round Table had been the Bilderbergers and the World Economic Forum. as "Anglosphere" and proponents formed in 1909, Britain's moment as a believe that "network civilisations" are great power had already passed. As this emerging using technological innova- series has sought to illustrate, despite tions in travel and communications to their valiant and conspiratorial efforts, link nations together on the basis of cul- Rhodes, Milner, Curtis and their cohorts ture rather than geography. One of were too late to save the Empire and cre- these "network civilisations", they con- ate the English-speaking union that they tend, is the English-speaking believed would bring peace to the world. Anglosphere.'” Instead, primary responsibility for estab- Since 9/11 the notion of Anglosphere lishing the New World Order was to fall has gained considerable currency. More to elite groups within the United States. than a few commentators observed that the partnering of the US Britain's destiny then, as now, was to become a junior partner in a and Britain to invade Iraq in 2003 with substantial assistance from program for global control largely devised and implemented from relatively few allies other than Australia, made it more of an Washington DC, rather than in London. "Anglo-Saxon" exercise than any of the other formulations the Pax Americana was the future. Britannia would rule no more... Bush Administration tried to popularise. Tensions between Europe oo and Britain over its relationship with the US have also contributed © About the Author: to this idea that Britain and America's embrace may tighten at the Will Banyan, BA (Hons), GradDip (Information Science), is a expense of the European Union. Moreover, the overtly imperialist writer specialising in the political economy of globalisation. He policies of the Bush Administration have raised the spectre of an _-has worked for local and national governments as well as some American Empire dominating the world. There is still scope fora _ international organisations and the private sector. He is currently reversal, but it seems that over a century after his death, the dreams —_ working on a revisionist history of the New World Order and an of Cecil Rhodes—of Anglo-American unity and imperial expan- analysis of the War on Terror. Banyan's six-part series, sion—have had new life breathed into them. "Rockefeller Internationalism", was published in NEXUS About the Author: Will Banyan, BA (Hons), GradDip (Information Science), is a writer specialising in the political economy of globalisation. He has worked for local and national governments as well as some international organisations and the private sector. He is currently working on a revisionist history of the New World Order and an analysis of the War on Terror. Banyan's six-part series, "Rockefeller Internationalism", was published in NEXUS 10/03-11/02. Will Banyan can be contacted by email at banyan007@rediffmail.com. CONCLUSIONS If there can be said to be an enduring bequest to the New World Order by the Round Table, it is providing an organisational blue- print. The Round Table is arguably the father of the plethora of think-tanks and unofficial policy-planning organisations we see around the world today. Endnotes: Due to the large number of references, and the lack of available space, readers desiring access to footnotes and references will have to access the full series of articles from our website. JUNE — JULY 2005 NEXUS +37 ANGLOSPHERE: THE RESURRECTION include the Council on www.nexusmagazine.com