Marxist Theories Of Imperialism Research Articles

Capitalism and Imperialism in the Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Century: A Critical Analysis of Conventional and Marxist Theories of Imperialism

ABSTRACT This article provides a critical analysis of conventional and Marxist theories of imperialism. The article then looks at the globalization of capital and imperialism in the twenty-first century and explores the relationship between these two phenomena and examines the forces behind modern imperialism, class struggle, and revolution for the transformation of capitalist imperialism in the twenty-first century with all its political implications. It argues that contemporary capitalist imperialism and its inherent contradictions are going to set the stage for the rise of a global working class movement that will lead to the transformation of capitalist imperialism through a worldwide proletarian revolution in the twenty-first century. Thus, the article concludes by articulating the superiority of Marxist theories of imperialism as against their liberal and critical counterparts in predicting the future course of development of capitalism and the challenges that it will face by an organized international working class movement that is destined to rise up against the capitalist-imperialist system and replace it with socialism in the not too distant future.

Teorías marxistas del imperialismo en la Segunda Internacional: orígenes y debates (1899-1914)

Este artículo aborda los principales debates teórico-políticos sobre el imperialismo que se produjeron en el marco de la Segunda Internacional. Pretende relevar las principales posturas sobre cómo debían posicionarse políticamente los socialistas frente a la expansión imperialista europea, sus miradas sobre los pueblos colonizados, las principales teorías usadas para explicar el fenómeno y las distintas acepciones que fue adoptando el concepto durante el período, desde el uso del mismo para referirse a federaciones aduaneras cerradas entre las metrópolis y sus colonias, hasta su utilización para designar una política de las potencias europeas del período o una etapa particular del capitalismo. Estas posiciones no fueron unívocas al interior del socialismo, por lo cual exponerlas implica abordar sucesivos debates que se daban en el marco de una situación política cambiante y situarlos en los procesos de formación de distintas tendencias y corrientes de opinión al interior del socialismo de la época, el cual era altamente diverso. El análisis se centra en los Congresos Internacionales y la producción de las organizaciones alemana, francesa e italiana de la Segunda Internacional.

An Assessment on Marxist Theories of Imperialism

Imperialism from the 19th century onwards has occupied the agenda of various Global Political Economy Schools, especially Marxism. Marxist imperialism theories has developed in three waves. In this study, firstly, the first wave theorists of imperialism (Hilferding, Lenin, Bukharin, Luxembourg) will be discussed. Then the second wave theorists Baran, Sweezy and Amin's theories of imperialism will be examined. Finally, within the framework of the third wave imperialism theories the views of Harvey, Foster and Magdoff will be addressed.

From Territorial to Nonterritorial Capitalist Imperialism: Lenin and the Possibility of a Marxist Theory of Imperialism

The concept of imperialism has returned to political and theoretical debates. But there are open theoretical questions. In opposition to treating imperialism in terms of a territorial logic, we insist on the nonterritorial character of capitalist imperialism. We go back to Lenin's theoretical contribution to a possible Marxist theory of imperialism in order to distance it from theories of empire building and territorial expansion. We attempt to combine such a reading of Lenin's writings on imperialism with a conception of political power and hegemony on the international plane, stressing the relative autonomy of the state and political power. We highlight Lenin's discussion of imperialism's class character, in terms of condensed class strategies. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to offer elements of a theory of the specifically capitalist form of nonterritorial imperialism, stressing the importance of articulating Lenin's concept of the imperialist chain with Gramsci's concept of hegemony.

Race, Surplus Population and the Marxist Theory of Imperialism

: This paper argues that capitalist accumulation requires imperialist expansion, and that this expansion creates a “raced” surplus laboring population. The argument proceeds in seven parts: that Marx's assertion in chapter 25 of Capital that capitalism produces an ever-increasing relative surplus population is tenable in all but the longest of time frames; that imperial expansion played an important role in the transition to capitalism, though not for the reasons traditionally given; that overinvestment rather than the increasing organic composition of capital best explains imperial expansion in the capitalist era; that the uneven development of capitalism produces at the same time an uneven development of the surplus laboring population; that race has served as a mark of membership in the surplus laboring population; that by intertwining itself with the surplus laboring population, race serves to perpetuate itself despite its contradictions; and that despite this resilience, the contradictions of race also set in process conflicts that make it possible to overcome imperialism.

Rising and Declining Economic Powers: The Sino-US Conflict Deepens

Adopting a comparative historical approach informed by Marxist theory of imperialism, this study demonstrates the tendencies toward conflict between past and present rising and declining imperial powers. In the present context the study compares and contrasts two types of imperialism: a highly militarised US empire based on wars and territorial occupations and a market-driven Chinese empire driven by an alliance of state, foreign and national capital. Both imperial systems are influenced by “overseas” diasporas. In the case of the USA, an internal Zionist power configuration loyal to Israel subordinates Washington's Middle East policies to the economically prejudicial interests of a militarist state (Israel), while in the case of China the overseas diaspora facilitates and promotes investments and trade enhancing China's dynamic economic expansion. The emerging contradictions between and within the two conflicting styles of empire building, point to the need for a social transformation, enhancing the power and position of labour against the Zionised state and speculative economy in the USA and the new plutocrats in China.

Empirical Analysis of China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation for Good or Bad: A Case of Tanzania

This study investigated China-Africa Economic and Trade ties taking Tanzania as the case study and the prime objective was to identify the main drivers for the bilateral trade and the benefits of the ties. The study draws theoretical framework from Realism, Dependency and Marxist theories of Imperialism. The dependency theory explains underdevelopment while the Marxist explains dominant state expansion. This study mainly employs descriptive research approach to asses China-Tanzania economic and trade ties. Data is drawn from industrial annual reports, previous research, journals, magazines, documentation and websites. Other sources are Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and Business Registration and Licensing Agency of Tanzania (BRELA). The scope of the study is limited to 1990-2010. The findings of the study show that engagement of China in Tanzania poses both opportunities and challenges. The

Introduction: globalisation, governance and development

Few disciplines have faced as much turbulence as development studies over the last 40 years.1 This fact is all the more significant as this period takes up almost the entire official history of the...

Reimagining the Scalar Topologies of Cross-border Governance: Eu(ro)regions in the Post-colonial Present

Much recent writing on the restructuring of the nation-state presupposes a functionalist and unidirectional logic defined by capital-centric 'jumping of scales' and 'spatial fixes'. This is the guiding trope underlying much work on emergent forms of supra- as well as sub-national regional governance within the European Union. In this paper, the author takes issue with such formulations as they apply to Europe's cross-border regions, arguing that their territorial dynamics must be embedded within a larger geo-historical framework which takes into account another period of attempted capital-centred transcendence--namely, European overseas imperialism. Drawing on early 20th-century Marxist theories of imperialism, the author juxtaposes the period of state scale restructuring within the Dutch colonial context in Indonesia with contemporary efforts at cross-border institution-building in the Dutch-German-Belgian euregios. In so doing, he sketches the conditions for new forms of post-scalar, trans-sovereign political agency that may be emerging at the interstices of the European interstate system. European state theory is thereby invited to engage with broader post-colonial debates.

Marxist Theories of Imperialism, a Critical Survey, 2d ed

Marxist Theories of Imperialism, a Critical Survey, 2d ed

REVIEWS AND SHORT NOTICES

REVIEWS AND SHORT NOTICES

Origins and Meaning of World War I

Abstract World War I, in Jan Patocka's words, “That tremendous and, in a sense, cosmic event,” was a watershed in the history of the West and the major influence on our century. Regarding its causes, nearly all the discussion has concerned the degree of responsibility of the various governments, in terms of the alliance system (ultimately, the Triple Entente of England, France and Russia and the Triple Alliance of Austria-Hungary, Germany, and Italy) which, it is alleged, had to eventuate in worldwide war. The other major focus is the Marxist theory of imperialism, which contends that international rivalry caused by the need for markets and sources of raw materials made inevitable a world war.

Introduction

A major issue in modernization theory, and in the study of the relationship between the expanding West and the “Third World,” has been the dynamism or lack of dynamism present in the indigenously idiosyncratic patterns of non-Western cultures. The concept of modernization was born and bred in the West, and seems to have reached full maturity in the late 1950s under the tender care of American social scientists. The bulk of the literature it generated assumed that modernizing cultures, following the West in their patterns of development, would become increasingly alike and eventually “converge.” Although Marxist theories of imperialism do not see Western influence as an unmitigated good, they too view the Third World nations as essentially passive.

International Capital Flows and the Meaning of Capitalist Expansion: A Reply to Szymanski

Szymanski's treatment of capital flows as indicating revolution ary potential is criticized. On theoretical grounds, his perspective is criticized for misinterpreting the political implications of both classical Marxist and neo- Marxist theories of imperialism. On methodological grounds, he is criticized for use of measures. Finally, a number of questions are posed which are intended to expand the discussion of a Marxist interpretation of capitalist expansion across national barriers.