[Marxism] Imperialism

[Angelus Novus]

Joaquin Bustelo:

> Imperialism is the system.

OK.  System of what? What are the defining
characteristics of the system?

Fill in these blanks for me:

Imperialism means __________.  It is defined by
__________ as distinct from ______________.

> loot and rape the rest of the world [...]  a way of 
> covering up who the criminals are, and who the 
> victims are.

More moralism.  This sort of thing is probably
necessary for writing agitational leaflets or call for
a demo, but also just confirms my suspicion that
imperialism is a moral term, not an analytical one.

The problem with such vague terminology is its
elasticity.  Thus the "how many angels on the head of
a pin" sort of debates like the one about whether
China is an imperialist country, where the conclusions
reached are ultimately based upon one's subjective
moral attitudes towards China, and not any analytical
criteria.


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