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Re: Re: Re: Anti-Eurocentrism: Idealist DiversionfromAnti-racism/anti-imperialism (fwd)



Anti-imperialism as a strategy for socialism is dead, dead, dead. It died with
the Vietnam War. There is only one strategy that has any hope. International
solidarity against capitalism. The old wobbly slogan "World Labor Needs a Union"
comes to mind. Or the even older one of Karl and company. "Workers of the World
Unite."

Rod

Rob Schaap wrote:

> G'day Mine,
>
> >as Marx said in the Communist Manifesto, working classes should
> >"settle accounts with their own bourgeoisie first". Evidence is Soviet
> >and Chinese communism, and other anti-imperialist struggles around
> >the globe.
>
> That's old evidence, Mine.  How'd you reckon a working class revolt would
> look in a peripheral country today?  'A visit from the Marines' as Chas put
> it the other day?  A quick mortal currency plunge?  We have to rethink
> social transformation in this day and age, I submit.
>
> >Thus, socialists can not be judged for why they gave support
> >to anti-imperialist nationalists since it was historically a necessary
> >stage at that time!
>
> Waddya reckon our attitude should be today - in THIS historical moment?
>
> >Anti-imperialist struggles and the position of socialists vis a vis
> >national regimes should be judged against concerete circumstances from an
> >historical perspective.
>
> Too true.  And it's very difficult, Mine.  I keep coming back to the
> relative power of US economic and political clout, and its demonstrable
> willingness to apply it.  Is the US the most decisive power in history?  If
> so, what does it depend on for the maintenance of that power?  Over which
> decisive external and internal phenomena has it least sway (I do note the
> US's PR image is at an all-time low, for instance - but that is still taking
> more a cultural-prejudice/petulant indignation/jealousy form than that of a
> systemic critique - we shall have to wait and see if and how N30 develops)?
> In what circumstances, if any, could an initially domestic peripheral
> revolution hope to get anywhere right now?
>
> Can't imagine any such circumstances at the moment ...
>
> Cheers,
> Rob.

--
Rod Hay
rodhay@xxxxxxxxxx
The History of Economic Thought Archive
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