ABSTRACT
Jens Bartelson’s succinct remarks about empire and ideology illustrate his gift for situating political theory in historical context. The result was an ideology that migrated to Portugal in the last days of the empire – indeed an ideology outlasting the empire. In world politics, Brazil has begun to assert itself as a regional power with European ties. Meanwhile, a bustling Brazilian middle class sends a flood of tourists to quaint old Portugal, very much as North Americans smugly partake of the historical treasures of their putative homelands. The European Union has its own proto-colonial tendencies and Europeans their own sentimental attachments to picturesque Portugal. When the larger balance of socio-political forces shifts, the flow can change direction but the bond remains intact. The European Union has its own proto-colonial tendencies and Europeans their own sentimental attachments to picturesque Portugal.
