RE: [OPE] Britain--parasitic and decaying capitalism: A comment

Paula wrote:
* The second point is the important one, politically. I know that David's article is about Britain, but look at the photo on page 8. The caption reads: "Oil: 'Can anyone today really deny the existence of monopoly profits or the domination of the 'Third World' by the rich imperialist nations?'. Well, I don't deny the existence of monopoly profits, but why does David ignore the fact that many so-called Third World nations are themselves major oil producers and reapers of monopoly profits? Could it be because he's trying to tell us that there are 'good' oil monopoly capitalists (Iran, Venezuela) and 'bad' ones (Britain, Norway)? <snip>
 If Dubai was located right in the middle of the Swiss Alps, the Third-Worldist left would have no problem in labeling it as imperialist, parasitic, decayed, etc. But apparently a spade in the Middle East must never be called a spade.
 
 
Hi Paula:
 
Just because it's a card doesn't make it a spade. There is certainly a capitalist class,
for instance, in Venezuela, but it's *not an imperialist nation*. That's the issue. There
are capitalist nations which are imperialist and there are capitalist nations which are
imperialized. Opposition to imperialism does not (have to) translate into support for the
bourgeoisie or the states within imperialized nations. Quite the contrary! Much of the Left
in the advanced capitalist nations does not understand this because ... well ... they're
a bit soft on opposition to imperialism even if it is sometimes couched in
leftier-than-thou leftistlanguage.
 
One of the reasons for the irrelevance of much of the Left is that when monumental
and historic class struggles are going on in the world some of them sit on the
sidelines and chat as if it was just a topic for conversation over a coffee table.
It is oh so much easier than fighting against imperialism, but people remember who
supported them in their struggles when the chips were down and who did not (to carry
the card metaphor a bit further). It is, curiously, also a poker strategy which
imperialist nations such as the U.S. are over-joyed for the Left to take. How they
must be laughing at CIA headquarters in Langley, VA at much of the "Leftist"
opposition to Chavez and Morales!
 
In solidarity, Jerry
 

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Received on Tue Jan 5 20:01:35 2010