The Pokrovsk (formerly Krasnoarmeysk) direction has become the focal point of Russia’s grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine, with Moscow’s forces......
I’m a Marxist-Leninist, I’m using Lenin’s analysis of imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism. The global north/south divide is imperialism. Russia is not the only country incentivized more to work against the global system of western hegemony, the entire global south stands to gain. Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism, but isn’t synonymous with private property. Imperialism is currently a system by which the west loots and plunders the world through massive financial capital and uses millitary force to cement this system. It’s why most goods are produced in the global south yet consumed in the global north. Russia isn’t a benefactor of that system, it isn’t a participant, and is materially incentivized into working against it despite relying on private property because its kept out of it.
Anti-imperialism is about fighting imperialism. We cannot fundamentally progress towards fighting private property without accurately analyzing and engaging the system that most directly perpetuates it globally. Countries in the global south are intentionally underdeveloped to keep them under the thumb of empire, and are attacked with force if they express sovereignty and lack nukes.
As for pointing out when the media is biased, it always is. Bias isn’t avoidable. There’s hidden bias and overt bias, it’s important to distinguish but ultimately all media is told from a viewpoint and with an agenda.
That’s fair enough. I am familiar with Marxist-Leninist analysis. I even once called myself a Marxist-Leninist. But I personally don’t think today’s capitalism can be described in those terms anymore. I don’t really want to subscribe to a certain way of thinking but if it helps you understand where I’m coming from, I like Kropotkin and more recently Negri & Hardt.
I suppose, from that perspective, it’s possible to define Russia as anti-imperialist. That’s fine, but I think that particular fault line is irrelevant to the global revolution. I don’t see how sacrificing millions of young Russians on the front lines is a net benefit to the global proletariat. That war is a distraction, and a way to maintain the status quo. And, therefore, counter revolutionary.
It’s certainly true that all media is biased but I don’t see how explicitly pointing out their bias can be a bad thing. If you really care about the analysis, as you have said earlier, you should also care about having that kind of context.
I truly don’t see how a bunch of NATO equipment being destroyed and a significant amount of western resources being poured in as overhead costs is somehow maintaining the status quo. Palestinian liberation heated up, economic ties to the PRC increased, Russia was further economically isolated from the west and had to solidify its alliances further with anti-imperialist countries, and more.
Imperialism isn’t a system that everyone perpetuates and participates in. The largest obstacle in the world for any country building socialism, like Cuba, the PRC, or even socialist states that don’t exist yet, is the US Empire and western imperialism in general. There is a clear set of benefactors of this global plunder, the global north, and a clear set of victims, the global south. In order to build socialism, we must overcome that system, and that requires us to struggle against it, countries in the global south to break free (like Burkina Faso is doing), etc, and those tasks are halted if NATO is given free reign and imperial resources are itching to be used.
Russia isn’t ideologically working against imperialism, but it does do because it needs to to survive.
Who is benefiting from NATO equipment being destroyed? Arms manufacturers. It’s not a null-sum game. They just make more arms. The Russo-Ukrainian war is just what the conservative establishment in Europe has been waiting for. The defense budgets are currently being boosted significantly. Who is befitting? Arms manufacturers. The establishment. This is not weakening imperialism, even in the narrow, Marxist-Leninist, sense. It’s strengthening it.
I agree with the entire second paragraph you write. I just think Russia, and in particular the Russian elite (which runs the country) absolutely benefits from imperialism (again, in the narrow sense). They are deeply integrated in the Western capitalist banking hegemony. They own half of London. Until the war started, they supplied all of Western Europe with gas, and was paid in imperialist money. Hence benefiting from the global imperialist exploitation.
On a side note, I can’t believe what a toxic place this sub is. People keep downvoting my replies simply because they don’t agree with me. This is the first and last time I have contributed to this community. Enjoy your echo chamber.
The west is heavily de-industrialized. There’s increased demand for millitary equipment, but very little in the way of factories to reproduce them. Palestine has benefited massively from the west not being able to fully commit to Israel, as an example. There just aren’t the actual factories necessary to continue to front proxy wars for NATO, again, big flashy toys but no real industry to keep fielding them. It’s the cost of empire increasing. I cannot fathom a world where this is benefiting empire, just like how the cost of maintaining empire increasing led to the collapse of the British Empire and the rise of the US Empire.
As for Russia benefiting from imperialism, no, not really. The vast bulk of Russia’s capital exports are for tax havens. Russia has billionaires and the ultra-wealthy, but is absolutely sidelined by the west and is blocked out of looting and plundering the global south because of it. Also, selling the west gas isn’t the same as plundering the global south through financial domination, trade isn’t imperialism.
Russia lacks finance capital and division of the world’s resources. It only has 4 of the top 100 corporations in the world and 6 of the top 500. 82% of Russian exports are raw materials, including 58% oil, 11% metal, and 6% food. In 2017, Russia imported $106.2 billion worth’ of machine goods and only exported $12.8 billion. Russia does not have any of the top 100 corporations in terms of capital export, and most Russian capital export is capital flight to tax havens. Russia only controls 0.7% of the world’s wealth and has much less wealth per adult than the United States ($8,843 vs $336,528). Russia has intervened militarily in other countries such as Yugoslavia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Syria, but not to seize natural resources like imperialist countries do.
As for toxicity, I can’t really say I agree. Don’t put too much stock into downvotes, but at the same time, try to reconsider your own positions.
Try to go out into the real world and talk to some real people some time. Honestly, I mean it, not as a mean comment, but sincere concern. You are clearly very well read and informed. But there is a world beyond discussing theory with random strangers on the internet.
Imagine acting this way and being pressed that people are being toxic to you. There’s no one in the world who could have been more patient with you and you turn around in spit in their face like this while complaining about the toxicity of the sub.
You haven’t been met with a fraction of hostility and downvotes you deserve. You showed up in the first place to be a vapid piece of shit troll and you haven’t changed your attitude since. I sincerely hope you make good on your threat and fuck off forever.
I’m a Marxist-Leninist, I’m using Lenin’s analysis of imperialism as the highest stage of capitalism. The global north/south divide is imperialism. Russia is not the only country incentivized more to work against the global system of western hegemony, the entire global south stands to gain. Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism, but isn’t synonymous with private property. Imperialism is currently a system by which the west loots and plunders the world through massive financial capital and uses millitary force to cement this system. It’s why most goods are produced in the global south yet consumed in the global north. Russia isn’t a benefactor of that system, it isn’t a participant, and is materially incentivized into working against it despite relying on private property because its kept out of it.
Anti-imperialism is about fighting imperialism. We cannot fundamentally progress towards fighting private property without accurately analyzing and engaging the system that most directly perpetuates it globally. Countries in the global south are intentionally underdeveloped to keep them under the thumb of empire, and are attacked with force if they express sovereignty and lack nukes.
As for pointing out when the media is biased, it always is. Bias isn’t avoidable. There’s hidden bias and overt bias, it’s important to distinguish but ultimately all media is told from a viewpoint and with an agenda.
That’s fair enough. I am familiar with Marxist-Leninist analysis. I even once called myself a Marxist-Leninist. But I personally don’t think today’s capitalism can be described in those terms anymore. I don’t really want to subscribe to a certain way of thinking but if it helps you understand where I’m coming from, I like Kropotkin and more recently Negri & Hardt.
I suppose, from that perspective, it’s possible to define Russia as anti-imperialist. That’s fine, but I think that particular fault line is irrelevant to the global revolution. I don’t see how sacrificing millions of young Russians on the front lines is a net benefit to the global proletariat. That war is a distraction, and a way to maintain the status quo. And, therefore, counter revolutionary.
It’s certainly true that all media is biased but I don’t see how explicitly pointing out their bias can be a bad thing. If you really care about the analysis, as you have said earlier, you should also care about having that kind of context.
I truly don’t see how a bunch of NATO equipment being destroyed and a significant amount of western resources being poured in as overhead costs is somehow maintaining the status quo. Palestinian liberation heated up, economic ties to the PRC increased, Russia was further economically isolated from the west and had to solidify its alliances further with anti-imperialist countries, and more.
Imperialism isn’t a system that everyone perpetuates and participates in. The largest obstacle in the world for any country building socialism, like Cuba, the PRC, or even socialist states that don’t exist yet, is the US Empire and western imperialism in general. There is a clear set of benefactors of this global plunder, the global north, and a clear set of victims, the global south. In order to build socialism, we must overcome that system, and that requires us to struggle against it, countries in the global south to break free (like Burkina Faso is doing), etc, and those tasks are halted if NATO is given free reign and imperial resources are itching to be used.
Russia isn’t ideologically working against imperialism, but it does do because it needs to to survive.
Who is benefiting from NATO equipment being destroyed? Arms manufacturers. It’s not a null-sum game. They just make more arms. The Russo-Ukrainian war is just what the conservative establishment in Europe has been waiting for. The defense budgets are currently being boosted significantly. Who is befitting? Arms manufacturers. The establishment. This is not weakening imperialism, even in the narrow, Marxist-Leninist, sense. It’s strengthening it.
I agree with the entire second paragraph you write. I just think Russia, and in particular the Russian elite (which runs the country) absolutely benefits from imperialism (again, in the narrow sense). They are deeply integrated in the Western capitalist banking hegemony. They own half of London. Until the war started, they supplied all of Western Europe with gas, and was paid in imperialist money. Hence benefiting from the global imperialist exploitation.
On a side note, I can’t believe what a toxic place this sub is. People keep downvoting my replies simply because they don’t agree with me. This is the first and last time I have contributed to this community. Enjoy your echo chamber.
The west is heavily de-industrialized. There’s increased demand for millitary equipment, but very little in the way of factories to reproduce them. Palestine has benefited massively from the west not being able to fully commit to Israel, as an example. There just aren’t the actual factories necessary to continue to front proxy wars for NATO, again, big flashy toys but no real industry to keep fielding them. It’s the cost of empire increasing. I cannot fathom a world where this is benefiting empire, just like how the cost of maintaining empire increasing led to the collapse of the British Empire and the rise of the US Empire.
As for Russia benefiting from imperialism, no, not really. The vast bulk of Russia’s capital exports are for tax havens. Russia has billionaires and the ultra-wealthy, but is absolutely sidelined by the west and is blocked out of looting and plundering the global south because of it. Also, selling the west gas isn’t the same as plundering the global south through financial domination, trade isn’t imperialism.
As for toxicity, I can’t really say I agree. Don’t put too much stock into downvotes, but at the same time, try to reconsider your own positions.
Try to go out into the real world and talk to some real people some time. Honestly, I mean it, not as a mean comment, but sincere concern. You are clearly very well read and informed. But there is a world beyond discussing theory with random strangers on the internet.
I do both, thanks for the concern.
Imagine acting this way and being pressed that people are being toxic to you. There’s no one in the world who could have been more patient with you and you turn around in spit in their face like this while complaining about the toxicity of the sub.
You haven’t been met with a fraction of hostility and downvotes you deserve. You showed up in the first place to be a vapid piece of shit troll and you haven’t changed your attitude since. I sincerely hope you make good on your threat and fuck off forever.
I might post every once in a while just to piss you off.
Lol
I hOpE yOU fINd hApPIneSS sOmeDAy
feel free to provide free entertainment for the rest of us any time