Russia absolutely is an imperialist power. They’re literally invading one of their former imperial possessions, not to mention the shit they’re doing in Georgia, Syria, Nigeria etc
If you support Russia’s wars of aggression, you’re not anti-imperialist.
Russia is a capitalist oligarchy, but every decolonial and anti-imperialist movements are aligned with them because it’s their best chance of resisting imperialist powers (US and its allies) and gain self-determination. The recent revolutionary governments in the Sahel (AES) are a good example of that.
Russia isn’t left wing, but leftist need to give them critical support in that respect in the context of the struggle against imperialism, because failing to do so means opposing the right to self determination of these oppressed people.
This is perfectly put, thank you. I would only add that Russia’s decolonial role is entirely opportunistic and not principled, and as such can’t be fully relied upon. The oppressed people you mention will be wise to plan for a possibility that the wind blows some other way and Russia betrays them. Like how Russia could’ve finished off ISIS but didn’t because Putin preferred getting cozy with Erdogan.
I didn’t know Idlib agreements were caused by US threats. But look at Russia now, fighting a full on proxy war with NATO anyway. Would it really have been much worse?
Russia, if given its druthers, would be imperialist, but since it presently doesn’t, it presently isn’t. Putin tried to join NATO once, to join the imperialist club, but that was rejected, because the US wanted Russia Balkanized & plundered instead. Russia has figured out that presently it’s better off allying with Global South countries than attempting imperialist adventures upon them. And this war has accelerated that allyship.
Opposing imperialism is not imperialism and only an idiot (or a imperialist sponsored poster) would argue otherwise. If you want to debate about imperialism you have to know what the word means. Geo-political analysis doesn’t work if you are operating on vibes and contextual definitions.
We live in a monopolar world. There is only 1 Imperialist power. It is made up of the anglo-american world and europe. The so called “golden billion” or Global North. Anyone not part of the global north is unable to be imperialist because there is almost nobody left to colonize or vassalize because the western powers have already done so.
The few independent nations of the world have only 2 choices, They can fight imperialism or try to conquer each other to build a tiny little empire. The latter will just weaken them and give empire the opening to balkanize and vassalize them. All geopolitical action in a monopolar world either helps the hegemon or hurts it, so if the USA says something is bad it is by definition anti-imperialist.
The war in Ukraine was originally a civil war with the maidan movement backed by the USA (who we agree is 100% imperialist right?) It was western imperialism that started the war and Russia’s response has been to counter that imperialism. You can’t call a nation “imperialist” because it works to fight imperialist encroachment on its border.
The current Russia is not the same nation as the USSR or the Russia Empire. They do occupy much of the same space but they are not the same ideologically politically or economically. Even then Ukraine was a willing and valued part of the old Russian empire who gained significant benefit including not being violently conquered by the empire to the west. The same goes 100x for Ukraine under the USSR. The USSR liberated Ukraine from the god dammed nazis. Are you saying that liberating Auschwitz was an act of Russian Imperialism?
The issue in Georgia has nothing to do with Russia. They had an election and the old president refused to accept the results. She pulled a trump. The new president is not pro-Russia he is just holding out for a better deal from the EU. And again, The EU is an imperialist power. Supporting people who resist the EU is anti-imperialist.
Ukraine was never a “former imperial possession”. The current iteration of Ukraine was created by the USSR.
Also imperialism is not when invading.
As for the other things:
Georgia: Fired on russian peacekeeping forces in South-Ossetia, thus started a war (this is supported by a UN investigation). Georgia started it, Russia ended it. Completely fine under international law. One of the legal cases of legal war is one in self defense.
Syria: The then government asked for military help. Russia provided help. Completely fine under international law. The other legal case for war is to aid in the defense of another nation when asked to do so.
Nigeria: What happened there?
The only thing that “could” be labeled russian war of aggression is the SMO, but per liberal logic it is not. Russia cited “responsibility to protect” as the reason, which for libs was completely fine when the west did it in Serbia. Russia stated that this would give a bad precedent case regarding the justification of wars.
As communist I don’t really give a shit if a war is waged as aggressor or defensive. The outcome is relevant.
Remind me again, which country is supporting head chopping extremists in Syria, and stole their oil, and which country supported the secular goverment which in turn supported the resistance in Palestine. Or in eastern europe, which country pushed balcanization, ethnic hatred and literally arms neonazis and which one fights them, or in Africa which country bombed back to the stone age the countries that wanted unification like panafricanism and panarabism and continues to support head chopping salafists?
You’re either dumb as a rock or youre just cynical, or both actually.
Russia absolutely is an imperialist power. They’re literally invading one of their former imperial possessions, not to mention the shit they’re doing in Georgia, Syria, Nigeria etc
If you support Russia’s wars of aggression, you’re not anti-imperialist.
Russia is a capitalist oligarchy, but every decolonial and anti-imperialist movements are aligned with them because it’s their best chance of resisting imperialist powers (US and its allies) and gain self-determination. The recent revolutionary governments in the Sahel (AES) are a good example of that.
Russia isn’t left wing, but leftist need to give them critical support in that respect in the context of the struggle against imperialism, because failing to do so means opposing the right to self determination of these oppressed people.
This is perfectly put, thank you. I would only add that Russia’s decolonial role is entirely opportunistic and not principled, and as such can’t be fully relied upon. The oppressed people you mention will be wise to plan for a possibility that the wind blows some other way and Russia betrays them. Like how Russia could’ve finished off ISIS but didn’t because Putin preferred getting cozy with Erdogan.
What a weird way to frame this, the US literally threatened Russia if Syria dared to touch Idlib, the head choppers stronghold.
I didn’t know Idlib agreements were caused by US threats. But look at Russia now, fighting a full on proxy war with NATO anyway. Would it really have been much worse?
In hindsight, it was a blunder definitely.
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Oh yes absolutely, that’s an important precision thanks for adding it.
I’m curious, do you think that the Soviet Union was oppressing the population of socialist Ukraine? If so, that’s quite false.
Well you see, the USSR killing the Nazis occupying Ukraine was Russians doing an imperialism. Liberating Auschwitz? Imperialism.
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Georgia? Tell me again who is sanctioning them and trying to encourage insurrection because their government isn’t playing ball?
Propably thinks Russia started the Georgian-Russian war a few years ago. It was Georgia who started it, tho.
Russia, if given its druthers, would be imperialist, but since it presently doesn’t, it presently isn’t. Putin tried to join NATO once, to join the imperialist club, but that was rejected, because the US wanted Russia Balkanized & plundered instead. Russia has figured out that presently it’s better off allying with Global South countries than attempting imperialist adventures upon them. And this war has accelerated that allyship.
Opposing imperialism is not imperialism and only an idiot (or a imperialist sponsored poster) would argue otherwise. If you want to debate about imperialism you have to know what the word means. Geo-political analysis doesn’t work if you are operating on vibes and contextual definitions.
We live in a monopolar world. There is only 1 Imperialist power. It is made up of the anglo-american world and europe. The so called “golden billion” or Global North. Anyone not part of the global north is unable to be imperialist because there is almost nobody left to colonize or vassalize because the western powers have already done so.
The few independent nations of the world have only 2 choices, They can fight imperialism or try to conquer each other to build a tiny little empire. The latter will just weaken them and give empire the opening to balkanize and vassalize them. All geopolitical action in a monopolar world either helps the hegemon or hurts it, so if the USA says something is bad it is by definition anti-imperialist.
The war in Ukraine was originally a civil war with the maidan movement backed by the USA (who we agree is 100% imperialist right?) It was western imperialism that started the war and Russia’s response has been to counter that imperialism. You can’t call a nation “imperialist” because it works to fight imperialist encroachment on its border.
The current Russia is not the same nation as the USSR or the Russia Empire. They do occupy much of the same space but they are not the same ideologically politically or economically. Even then Ukraine was a willing and valued part of the old Russian empire who gained significant benefit including not being violently conquered by the empire to the west. The same goes 100x for Ukraine under the USSR. The USSR liberated Ukraine from the god dammed nazis. Are you saying that liberating Auschwitz was an act of Russian Imperialism?
The issue in Georgia has nothing to do with Russia. They had an election and the old president refused to accept the results. She pulled a trump. The new president is not pro-Russia he is just holding out for a better deal from the EU. And again, The EU is an imperialist power. Supporting people who resist the EU is anti-imperialist.
Ukraine was never a “former imperial possession”. The current iteration of Ukraine was created by the USSR. Also imperialism is not when invading.
As for the other things:
Georgia: Fired on russian peacekeeping forces in South-Ossetia, thus started a war (this is supported by a UN investigation). Georgia started it, Russia ended it. Completely fine under international law. One of the legal cases of legal war is one in self defense.
Syria: The then government asked for military help. Russia provided help. Completely fine under international law. The other legal case for war is to aid in the defense of another nation when asked to do so.
Nigeria: What happened there?
The only thing that “could” be labeled russian war of aggression is the SMO, but per liberal logic it is not. Russia cited “responsibility to protect” as the reason, which for libs was completely fine when the west did it in Serbia. Russia stated that this would give a bad precedent case regarding the justification of wars.
As communist I don’t really give a shit if a war is waged as aggressor or defensive. The outcome is relevant.
Remind me again, which country is supporting head chopping extremists in Syria, and stole their oil, and which country supported the secular goverment which in turn supported the resistance in Palestine. Or in eastern europe, which country pushed balcanization, ethnic hatred and literally arms neonazis and which one fights them, or in Africa which country bombed back to the stone age the countries that wanted unification like panafricanism and panarabism and continues to support head chopping salafists?
You’re either dumb as a rock or youre just cynical, or both actually.
woops koolaid got ya