Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism

We live in an epoch of wars, crises, revolutions, and counter-revolutions. The capitalist system has reached its limits and is spending humanity spiralling towards an uncertain, barbarous future. But in order to fight against this dying system and for the transformation of society we first need to understand it. This is why the question of imperialism is essential for every communist and revolutionary to study intently.

This week we're sharing an interview with Benoit Tanguay on Lenin's "Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism", a thoroughoing analysis of the capitalist system, the reasons for it's penetration into all corners of the globe, and the conflicts it creates between competing imperialist powers.

[nura.divergent]

This was world changing to listen to. Loved it

[posmoo]

liberalism is the highest form of capitalism

[David.-zrph]

I enjoyed this education time. Scotland UK 👁️🙏👁️. Is china going to be worse than the UK and USA France Germany Australia Canada. Scary times ahead in the UK. Scotland UK

[tanujSE]

Yes some work of Lenin is valid and some work of every comrade could be valid
Nothing to turn things into leninism as he was quite on question of proletariatization

[billysavoie]

Vive le combat anti-impérialiste de la Russie contre l'axe otano kiévien!

[DMFTexTex]

Imperialism is not the highest stage of capitalism. Imperialism is the basic prerequisite for feudalism to become capitalism. I would argue that capitalism is nothing more than imperial feudalism.

[QuaesitorVeritum]

Hello, I would like to pose various counter-arguements. Hopefully I can get feedback.

Before anything, I agree that men have committed horrible injustices and crimes via corporations (corporations aren't sentient) for unjust gain. I hate how much they control the government via bribery.

Concerning Marx, is anyone aware of Marx, the man. He was Bourgeois himself, never having worked a proper job, instead living in handouts from family and friends. His own economic situation was horrible, as he lived in squalor due to his prolific materialism. He had a maid (given by his wife's family) whom he refused to pay while he drank excessively. He later repaid the maid by getting her pregnant and refusing to acknowledge the resultant child, Engels taking the blame for him. See Thomas Sowell on Marx. In short, the man was a scoundrel, a hypocrite, harbored destructive delusions of grandeur and his life displayed he knew nothing of actual economics nor had any real consideration for the proletariat. How can one support his teaching?

Moving on to Lenin, the speakers mention how mega corporations spark wars, exploit the worker and trample on human rights. But isn't this exactly what Lenin did? How many did he slaughter (its in the millions, btw)? How many conflicts did he incite? How many slaved away in the gulags (full of political prisoners whose only crime was disagreeing with Communism)? How many group "cleansings" did the Communists carry out (e.g. Lenin wanted to utterly stomp out Christians)? And didn't the USSR in itself become imperialistic? Did the communists represent democracy? Socialism had always been about the Elite Bourgeois Intellectual determining what's best for the proletariat and enforcing it via mandate.

There's much more to say, but Communism began violently and continued as such.  Consider this factoid. The problem is not capitalism. Tyranny, oppression and hate preceded capitalism. African tribes oppress and slaughter one another. Capitalism enables people to be greedy. Yes. But so did Communism. The problem is our heart. Unless you can change the human heart, no political or economical system will be perfect.