---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: Re: [OPE-L:6560] Re: * poll: who has advanced political econ omy since Marx? * Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 09:35:14 +0000 From: Paul Cockshott <paul@cockshott.com> On Tue, 12 Feb 2002, you wrote: > Another interesting question is whether imperialism as it was characterized by Lenin in his pamphlet has been altered in significant ways. E.g. Paul C, I believe, once raised this question in relation to what he viewed as the contemporary (in)significance of the export of capital from the imperialist nations. This would make for an interesting thread -- 'how has imperialism changed since Lenin's time?' or 'has imperialism changed since Lenin?'. > > In solidarity, Jerry My view is that 1. There are substantial empirical inaccuracies with regard to the export of capital in the standard Leninist theory as applied to British imperialism in the first half of the 20th century in that the UK was not a net capital exporter. 2. The analysis of imperialism was nevertheless politically correct for the first 2/3rds of the 20th century, and provides the essential basis for understanding the first and second world wars and the revolutionary anti-colonial movements of the period. 3. Imperialism effectively ceased to exist as a force by about 1970 due to the suceess of the anti-imerialist revolutionary movements, the internal weakening of imperialism by two world wars, and the immense military strength of the socialist camp at that period. 4. In the period since the counter revolution in the USSR, the processes which allowed imperialism to develop are again partially active. This expresses itself most clearly in the effective re-colonisation of Arabia by the USA and a lesser extent the UK, the gross violation of the post WWII international legality in the attack on the Federal Republic of Jugoslavia, and in the recent drive by the USA to establish military hegemony over central asia. It is also apparent in the partial re-colonisation of Sierra Leone by the UK. 5. The level of capitalist development is much higher than a century ago, this limits the scope of potential imperialist development. The most significant factor here is that both China and India are now major economic and military powers rather than colonies or potential colonies. The scope of imperialism thus tends to be concentrated on Africa and on relatively small and weak countries in central asia and the middle east. -- Paul Cockshott, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland 0141 330 3125 mobile:07946 476966 paul@cockshott.com http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/people/personal/wpc/ http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc/reports/index.html ------------------------------------------------------- -- Paul Cockshott, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland 0141 330 3125 mobile:07946 476966 paul@cockshott.com http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/people/personal/wpc/ http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~wpc/reports/index.html
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