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8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
1/26
BRICSaroundtheneckoftheproletariat
The Sixth BRICS meeting held in Brazil was held inJuly. The occasion was one of wheeling and
dealingbetweenthetwobigBRICSblocleadersandtheirLatinAmericansupporterslookingtoset
upanalternativetothetraditionalUSdominanceofthecontinentandanalternativetoUSglobal
financialhegemony.The leadersalsotooktimeouttotestthe loyaltyofUSallies intheEUfacing
USdictatedsanctionsonRussiathatwillcosttheEUeconomies$billions.PutinusedtheFIFAWorld
CuptomeetMerkelanddiscussUkraine. NodoubtRussiaismotivatedtostrengthenitspushinto
LatinAmericaasareprisaltotheUSdeterminationtopushNATOrightupagainstitsborders.Not
contenttoputpressureontheUSbloc inEuropeandAsia,PutinsdealtowriteoffmostofCubas
debtandreopenaformerSovietspybaseatLourdesrubstheNationalSecurityAgency(NSAs)nose
in itsown business.The riseof BRICS is regarded bymanyon the left todayasadynamic antiimperialistblocchallengingUSimperialisthegemony.WechallengethisviewandshowthatBRICS
may be a rival bloc but is neither progressive nor antiimperialist, because it is led by the
emergingimperialistpowers,RussiaandChina.Wearguethatthemountinginterimperialistrivalry
betweenthetwoblocsmeanswecanonlyadvancetheworldrevolutionbyopposinganddefeating
bothblocs.
The riseofBRICS is takingplace in thecontextof theglobalcrisisofcapitalism.ThepostSoviet,
postcapitalistrestorationistChina,worldofcapitalismindecayisshapinguptolookmuchlikethe
worldofacenturyago,with interimperialistrivalry leadinginexorablytoanother imperialistwar.
Theemerging
imperialist
powers
of
China
and
Russia
are
positioning
themselves
as
abloc
of
BRICS
1
http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/http://rt.com/news/173092-russia-sigint-facility-cuba/http://rt.com/news/173092-russia-sigint-facility-cuba/http://brics6.itamaraty.gov.br/8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
2/26
againstthetraditionalNATObloc,withtheUnitedStatesasthedominant imperialistpowersince
WorldWarII.
As recentmoves have shown, the decliningUnited States is bent onmaintaining this dominant
position throughpreventingBRICSredivisionof theworldorredividing it for theirbenefit. The
PacificPivot
and
the
TPPA
is
directly
aimed
at
Chinas
growing
power
in
the
Pacific,
as
was
the
sabrerattling against North Korea, which was not only targeting the remaining gains of the
collectivized property of the deformed workers state (DWS), but also served as a warning to
capitalistChinathattheywouldcalltheshotsintheregion. Japan,animperialistallyoftheUnited
States,hasprovokedChinaovertheSenkakuislands.
Now theChinaledBRICSnationshave formed theBRICSDevelopmentBankasacounter to the
BrettonWoods IMF/WorldBank. Althoughstartingwitharelativelymeager$50billionfund,the
goal is toreacha financingcapacityof$350billion ina fewyearsandeventuallyrival theWorld
Bank,particularlywithextracapitalfundingfromChinaandRussia. RecentlyBRICSrepresentatives
werecourting
Latin
American
countries,
adirect
challenge
to
the
United
States.
It
is
obvious
that
BRICSiswieldingincreasinginfluence,butaswhat?IsBRICSnowbeginningtoposeachallengeto
UShegemonyasanantiimperialistblocorabloc ledbyemerging imperialistpowers,Russiaand
China?
FourClassPerspectivesonBRICS
ItisusefultobreakdownthedifferentviewsofBRICSbytheirideologicalbasisinoneorothersocial
class.Otherwisewehavethespectacleoffreefloatingstandpointsthatreducetonationalcultures,
nationalgeography,blood,raceornation,orgreatleadersultimately,biologyorgenetics.The
bourgeoisclass
ideology
of
sovereign
individuals
in
the
free
market
is
the
default
ideology
of
capitalism. This is the fetishised form thatunequal production relations take as equal exchange
relations. Value, rather than representing the labour time of workers, becomes the value of
commoditiesasdeterminedbythemarket.Individualsceasetobeworkers,capitalistsorlandlords
andbecomesovereignindividualsasbuyersandsellersofcommoditiesinthemarketandcitiziens
withequalpoliticalrights.Capitalismisthebestofallpossibleworldsprovidedindividualfreedoms
in themarketandnation statearenot limitedbyother individualsand states.Today,bourgeois
ideologytakesthreemainformsneoliberal,liberalandradical.
(A) Neoliberals
Neoliberals are neither new nor liberal. They claim to be liberal in the sense of 18th
Century
liberalism of free market capitalism. However, such liberalism (now neoliberalism) never
representedtherealityofcapitalism.Thearrivalandsurvivalofcapitalismsince itsbeginninghas
required massive state intervention. Moreover, since the late 19th
century state intervention
developed into its highest form as capitalism had tomove from competitive capitalism to state
monopolycapitalismtodealwithincreasinglyfrequentandseriouscrises. (Lenin,Imperialism)
Neoliberalsareapologists for statemonopoly capitalismdestroyingorganised labourandbuying
votesinordertodominatethefreemarket.Neoliberalismwasbornoutoftheendofthepostwar
boom
and
onset
of
structural
crisis
in
the
early
1970s
and
announced
its
presence
in
the
Chilean
military coup with the overthrow of the populist president Salvador Allende to maintain US
2
http://japanfocus.org/-Vince-Scappatura/4178?utm_source=September+8%2C+2014&utm_campaign=China%27s+Connectivity+Revolution&utm_medium=emailhttp://japanfocus.org/-Vince-Scappatura/4178?utm_source=September+8%2C+2014&utm_campaign=China%27s+Connectivity+Revolution&utm_medium=emailhttp://japanfocus.org/-Vince-Scappatura/4178?utm_source=September+8%2C+2014&utm_campaign=China%27s+Connectivity+Revolution&utm_medium=emailhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/tppa-nafta-from-hell_3.htmlhttp://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_fetishismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_fetishismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_fetishismhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch01.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch01.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_fetishismhttp://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Development_Bankhttp://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/chinaus-rivalry-asia-pacific/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/defend-south-korean-rail-workers/http://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2013/01/tppa-nafta-from-hell_3.htmlhttp://japanfocus.org/-Vince-Scappatura/4178?utm_source=September+8%2C+2014&utm_campaign=China%27s+Connectivity+Revolution&utm_medium=email8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
3/26
dominationoftheeconomy.NeoliberalsdonthaveanydoubtthatChina,alliedtoRussia,leading
theBRICSblocposesathreattoUShegemonycalling forthaNewColdWar.CynicallytheU.S. is
presented as the bastion of the free market, individual rights and democracy rather than the
dominantstatemonopoly imperialistpower. Itsmission is todefend these valuesagainst those
who would destroy them with superior state monopoly power, e.g., Russia and China. For
neoliberalsits
as
ifthe
Soviets
have
come
back
from
the
dead
and
the
cold
war
never
ended.
That
iswhytheybackdateto1949theWhiteHousepolicyofexpandingNATOandrallyingthePacific
allies of RIMPAC to militarily box in Russia and China from making a transition from regional
powerstoglobalpowers.
TheLiberalcritiqueofneoliberalismrecognisesthehypocrisyofthe freemarketthatwasnever
freeandalwaysmanipulatedbypowerelites.NeoliberalismisdefinedasthespecificperiodofUS
globalhegemonythataroseinthelast40years,oftenreferredtoastheWashingtonConsensus,
underthe leadershipofthesocalledneoconservatives, i.e.thesubsetofneoliberalswhotryto
disguisetherealpolitikofmonopolyofstatepowerbehindtraditionalbourgeoisculturalvaluesof
family,nation
and
god.
Liberals
therefore
share
the
neo
liberals
assumption
that
the
problem
is
nottheimperialistepochofstatemonopolycapitalism,butratherthemonopolyofpowerheldby
thewrongclass, the imperialistelite.Therefore the liberal trick is to replace the imperialistelite
withthepowerofthepeople!EntertheBRICS.
(B) Liberals
Against thisofficial neoliberalconviewof theold (now revived)coldwarwhereconfrontation
andwar are necessarymeans to prop upU.S. statemonopoly capitalism, the bourgeois liberal
ideologues see the rising economic power of BRICS as a counterbalance to the Washington
Consensusthat
can
lead
to
multipolarity.
There
are
some
like
Tom
Engelhardt
who
discount
multipolarity in the faceofanoverwhelmingUSglobalpower thatdominatesgeopolitics.Others
like neoStalinist FWilliam Engdahl seemultipolarity arising like a phoenix as Russia and China
challengeUSeconomicandfinancialhegemony:
Taken as a totality, along with other measures by Russias Putin to deepen political,
economicandmilitary tieswithChinaand theothernationsofEurasia, the latestenergy
agreements have the potential to transform the global geopolitical map, something
Washingtonswarfactionwillnotgreetwillingly.Theworld,as Ivenotedbefore, is inthe
midstofoneofafundamentaltransformation,suchasoccursonlyeveryfewcenturies.An
epochis
ending.
The
once
unchallenged
global
hegemony
of
the
Atlantic
alliance
countries
oftheUSAandEUiscrumblingrapidly.
TodaysliberalsaremorethedescendantsofAdamSmiththantheneoliberalsbecausetheyagree
that theequalexchange in themarkethasbeendistortedby theconcentrationofpower in the
hands of ruling elites. Smith believed that the market was rational and that competition and
comparative advantage was sufficient to organise the economy and the wealth of nations.
Comparative Advantage was based on the exchange of commodities at their labour value. The
hiddenhandrewardedeachpersonaccordingtotheamountoflabourtheycouldcommandinthe
market.Equalexchangewouldresultunlessnationstatesintervenedtomanipulateormonopolise
the
market.
We
can
now
see
how
liberals
today
see
the
distribution
of
power
as
determining
the
distribution of income and the need for a liberal state to regulate power relations in the
3
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSxhttp://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSxhttp://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSxhttp://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSxhttp://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSxhttp://news.firedoglake.com/2013/12/31/john-schindler-compares-snowden-to-hitler-and-stalin-claims-he-is-russian-agent/http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/12/31/john-schindler-compares-snowden-to-hitler-and-stalin-claims-he-is-russian-agent/http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/12/31/john-schindler-compares-snowden-to-hitler-and-stalin-claims-he-is-russian-agent/http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175895/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_great_concentration_or_the_great_fragmentation/http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175895/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_great_concentration_or_the_great_fragmentation/http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175895/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_great_concentration_or_the_great_fragmentation/http://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttp://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttp://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttp://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttp://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/pilling/works/capital/geoff1.htmhttp://bit.ly/1tEfpqkhttp://journal-neo.org/2014/09/28/china-and-russia-in-new-strategic-energy-deals/http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175895/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_great_concentration_or_the_great_fragmentation/http://news.firedoglake.com/2013/12/31/john-schindler-compares-snowden-to-hitler-and-stalin-claims-he-is-russian-agent/http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/new-cold-war-russia-104954_Page2.html#.VEcF3MnSnSx8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
4/26
marketplace.This is clear in thehistoryof liberal reforms thatattempt tobalance thepowerof
organisedlabourandcapital.
Multipolarityisthereforethe21stcenturyliberalroadbacktotheutopiaofAdamSmith,where
therebalancingofexcessivestatepower,allowsthe freemarkettobecometheguarantorof
thecommonwealth
of
citizens.
The
main
tools
of
multipolarity
focus
on
the
destruction
of
monopolypowertocontrolproduction,distributionandexchangeofvalueontheworldmarket.
For liberalswhoare fixatedonthefetishofthemarketandthesymbolofthemarket,money,
this means breaking the dominance of the US juggernaut over the international finance
systemtheU.S.DollarastheglobalreservecurrencybysettinguprivalstotheWorldBank
andIMF.
PepeEscobar,attheAsiaTimes,writes:
It'sbeenalongandwindingroadsinceYekaterinburgin2009,attheirfirstsummit,upto
theBRICS's
long
awaited
counterpunch
against
the
Bretton
Woods
consensus
the
IMF
and
theWorldBank aswellas the Japandominated (but largely responding toUSpriorities)
AsianDevelopmentBank(ADB).TheBRICSDevelopmentBank withaninitialUS$50billion
in capital will be not only BRICSoriented, but invest in infrastructure projects and
sustainable development on a global scale. The model is the Brazilian BNDES (Brazilian
DevelopmentBanked.),whichsupportsBraziliancompaniesinvestingacrossLatinAmerica.
Ina fewyears, itwill reacha financingcapacityofup to$350billion.Withextra funding
especiallyfromBeijingandMoscow,thenewinstitutioncouldleavetheWorldBankinthe
dust.CompareaccesstorealcapitalsavingstoUSgovernment'sprintedgreenpaperwith
nocollateral.
Andthenthere'stheagreementestablishinga$100billionpoolofreservecurrencies the
Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), described by Russian Finance Minister Anton
Siluanov as "a kind of miniIMF". That's a nonWashington consensus mechanism to
counterpunchcapitalflight.Forthepool,Chinawillcontributewith$41billion,Brazil,India
andRussiawith$18billioneach,andSouthAfricawith$5billion.Thedevelopmentbank
shouldbeheadquartered inShanghai althoughMumbaihas forcefully tried tomake its
case(foranIndiantakeontheBRICSstrategy,seehere).
Way beyond economy and finance, this is essentially about geopolitics as in emerging
powers
offering
an
alternative
to
the
failed
Washington
consensus.
Or,
as
consensus
apologists say, the BRICS may be able to "alleviate challenges" they face from the
"internationalfinancialsystem".Thestrategyalsohappenstobeoneofthekeynodesofthe
progressively solidified ChinaRussia alliance recently featured via the gas "deal of the
century"andattheSt.Petersburgeconomicforum.
Usingsuchtools,multipolaritywillresult inarebalancingoftheshareofglobalpoweramongthe
bigpowers,asameansofboth increasingandredistributingeconomicwealth.But theutopiaof
theliberalbourgeoisiewontworkunlesstheworkingclassandotheroppressedpeoplearewonto
itbyreformistpoliticalpartiesandtradesunions.Thustheworkingmassesmustbeconvincedthat
the BRICS bloc can reform global capitalism and reverse the massive social inequalities by
redistributingglobal
wealth.
This
liberal
perspective
is
the
basis
of
Hardt
and
Negris
Empire,
4
http://rt.com/op-edge/172624-brics-putin-arab-spring/http://rt.com/op-edge/172624-brics-putin-arab-spring/http://rt.com/op-edge/172624-brics-putin-arab-spring/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-150714.htmlhttp://epaper.tribuneindia.com/c/3147122?fb_action_ids=635204433254025&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://trotskyistinspain.wordpress.com/2010/01/06/imperialism-policy-option-or-death-drive/http://epaper.tribuneindia.com/c/3147122?fb_action_ids=635204433254025&fb_action_types=og.comments&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582http://www.atimes.com/atimes/World/WOR-01-150714.htmlhttp://rt.com/op-edge/172624-brics-putin-arab-spring/8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
5/26
published in 2000 that promoted the liberal left utopia of a world where imperialism was
outmodedandtheEmpirewasbeingcivilisedbythemultitudenowledbytheanewmiddleclass
ofimmaterialworkers.Empirewasimmediatelyconfoundedby9/11andtheonsetofthewaron
terror and theArgentinazo.U.S. imperialism reasserted its hegemonic power in invasions and
wars inAfghanistanand Iraqand the liberalutopiawasrudelydashedby therampantneocons.
Therise
of
BRICS
the
so
called
emerging
markets
since
2000
however,
has
given
the
liberal
standpointrenewedhopeintheformofmultipolarity.
OneofthewaysthatRussiaandChinaarepresentedasprogressiveleadersofBRICSistheclaim
that they represent the formerorpresent formsof socialism that facilitate the transition from
capitalismto21stcenturysocialism.Wheretheylackcredibilityasmodelsof21
stcenturysocialism
for themasses, then at least they can be pushed in thatdirection by theexample of theALBA
(BolivarianAlliance for the Peoples of ourAmerica) states, namely;Venezuela,Brazil and South
Africa thatallhavepopular frontGovernmentswithstrongmasssupport.This isalso thecase in
Cuba,whichinourviewhasrestoredcapitalismundertheinfluenceofChinaandhasnowbecome
theideological
cheer
leader
linking
BRICS
to
Bolivarian
socialism
that
is
promoted
by
the
World
SocialForum (WSF)asembodyingthephoenix thatrisesoutoftheashesoftheexSovietworld.
Thesepopular front regimesare themodels foraglobalpopular front.Under thecontrolof the
governmental and corporate elites,BRICS continue business as usual exploiting themasses and
pollutingtheplanet. Yetmasspressure frombelowcanforcetheBRICSto implementapopular
socialist program. The strongest expression of this liberal populismwas that of the Brics from
BelowconferenceheldinSouthAfricaduringthe5th
BRICSsummitin2013.
Thisthemewasalsotakenupinthe6th
SummitinBrasiliaandFortaleza,notablybyRussiawithits
emphasisonpoliticalandmilitarycooperationwithLatinAmericancountries,especiallyVenezuela
andCuba.
Andrew
Korybko
writing
in
Russia
and
the
Latin
American
Leap
to
Multipolarity
argues
thatRussiasresurgencefromcollapsedSovietstatetoGreatPowerstatusmeansitisattempting
torecoveritsoldspheresofinfluence.LatinAmericafiguresstronglyinthisrecovery:
RussiahasrestoreditsSovieteraglobalreachunderVladimirPutin,extendingitsinfluence
all across theworld. Because it fulfils the role of a strategic balancer, relationshipswith
Russiaarenowmoreprized thaneveras theworldmoves towardsmultipolarity.Certain
contextualbackgroundsmakeLatinAmericaoverlyreceptive tomultipolarityandRussias
grandforeignpolicygoalsinthisregard.Overthepastdecade,Moscowhasspunacomplex
web of relationships to directly and indirectly extend its influence in the Caribbean and
along
both
coasts
of
the
South
American
continent.
This
strategy
is
not
without
risks,
however, since all of Russias partners are vulnerable to various USsponsored
destabilizations. Ifmanagedproperly,however,Russias return to LatinAmerica canbea
godsendformultipolarity,anditcanevenreversethePentagonsstrategicinitiativeandfor
onceplacetheUSonthedefensivewithinitsownnaturalsphereofinterest...[a]roundthis
time [around 2000], Russia was rising from the ashes of the Soviet collapse and finally
returningtoitsGreatPowerstatus.Itthusfelttheneedtoexpanditsswaybackintoareas
which it once held influence, and this of course included Latin America. Mutual visits,
weaponsdeals,andenergycontractsflourishedbetweenRussiaandVenezuelasince2000,
andbothcountrieswerealreadydeepstrategicpartnersbythetimeofPutins2010tripto
Caracas.Military cooperation in thenavaland aerial fields solidified the relationship and
showedbothsidescommitmenttooneanother.Allofthisinfluencedandhasbeeninline
5
http://situationsvacant.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/lost-in-the-crowd-hardt-and-negris-empire-and-multitude-in-argentina/http://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/cuba-sold/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/cuba-sold/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/cuba-sold/http://rt.com/news/184340-castro-compares-nato-nazi/http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://links.org.au/node/3979http://links.org.au/node/3979http://links.org.au/node/3979http://links.org.au/node/3979http://links.org.au/node/3979http://links.org.au/node/3979http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://links.org.au/node/3260http://links.org.au/node/3260http://links.org.au/node/3260http://links.org.au/node/3260http://links.org.au/node/3260http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://rt.com/news/putin-chavez-venezuela-oil/http://orientalreview.org/2014/08/23/russia-and-the-latin-american-leap-to-multipolarity/http://links.org.au/node/3260http://links.org.au/node/3260http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1018.phphttp://links.org.au/node/3979http://zcomm.org/znetarticle/the-brics-challengers-to-the-global-status-quo/http://rt.com/news/184340-castro-compares-nato-nazi/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/cuba-sold/http://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://redrave.blogspot.co.nz/2009/12/chavez-5th-column-international.htmlhttp://situationsvacant.wordpress.com/2008/01/31/lost-in-the-crowd-hardt-and-negris-empire-and-multitude-in-argentina/8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
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powersgotowartoredividetheworld.Leninsconceptofimperialismasanarchicstatemonopoly
capital, adopted by the Bolsheviks, must be replaced by the Menshevik view of imperialism as
politicalpolicyoftherulingclassthatcanbereplacedbyaproletarianpolicyofsocialistrevolution
as peaceful coexistencebetweenclasses.Sowhile the radical lefthas toaccept thatRussiaand
Chinaareemerging superpowerstheymustargue thattheycannotbenew imperialistpowers.
Ratherthey
are
reduced
to
relatively
minor
powers
subordinated
to
the
existing
U.S.
led
imperialist
bloc and for that reason have a progressive, antiimperialist character that can counter US
hegemonyandbringpeacefulcoexistencebetweencapitalistnations. Weargueherethatthose
whodeny thatRussiaandChinaare imperialistdo sohavingdecided inadvance that this isnot
possiblebecausetheU.S. ishegemonic.Allsortsoflabelsarefixedtothesesubordinatepowers
subimperialist,regionalimperialist,capitalistsemicolony,orevenDeformedWorkersStates!
Wewillprovethatthesearetheempiricistimpressionsofpettybourgeoisradicals.Attheheartof
their impressionism is their fetishised concept of finance capital. They break from Lenin who
definedfinancecapitalasthefusionbetweenbankingcapitalandproductivecapital.Imperialismis
theepoch
of
monopoly
where
banks
and
large
enterprises
are
jointly
owned
and
collaborate
closely
to financetheaccumulationprocess.Whenbanking (moneycapital) isseparatedfromproductive
capitalbecauseofacrisisofoverproduction,excessmoneycapitaloutsidethecircuitofproduction
cannotcreatenewvalueandmoneybegins to losevalue.Speculating inexistingvaluesdoesnot
maintainthevalueofmoneysincetheclaimofmoneyonexistingvalueleadstoitsdevaluationuntil
suchtimeasitcanbeturnedintomoneycapitalproductiveofvalue.
ThatiswhymuchoftheU.S.bankingcapitalandtheU.S.dollarinparticularisincreasinglyfictitious
capital thatdoesnot represent realwealth. TheU.S.massivenationaldebt reflects that itsU.S.
risingdollarwealth cannotbeexchanged fordecliningU.S.ownedproductionof value,and the
debtis
only
sustainable
by
printing
U.S.
dollars.
Instead
of
uncontrollable
price
inflation
that
would
normallyresult, theU.S.dollarvalue iskeptartificiallyhighbecause it is indemandas theworld
currency that has to be purchased to exchange for the value of commodities, in particular oil.
ThereforetheargumentthattheU.S.istheworldhegemonicpowerbecauseofitscontrolofglobal
financecapitaldoesnotfollow.Onthecontrary,theoverproductionofcapitalduetotheTendency
oftheRateofProfittoFall,meansthatU.S. imperialismmustundergothehugedestructionof its
surpluscapital.ThesparkwillbetheburstingofthedebtbubbleandcollapseofthevalueoftheU.S.
dollar.
ThehegemonyofU.S.imperialismisthereforeasfragileastheagreementofU.S.rivalstopayfor
commodities
in
U.S.
dollars!
We
will
prove
that
petty
bourgeois
Marxists
who
fail
to
understand
thisrealityoverestimatethecapacityoftheU.S.todominateitsimperialistrivalsfinancially,and
thus underestimate the capacity of those rivals to accumulate their own genuinely finance
capitalbasedonthefusionofbankingcapitalandproductivecapital. Andthisisofcourseafatal
mistakewhenitcomestounderstandingthecurrentriseofRussiaandChina.ThefactthatRussia
andChinaareoveraccumulatingcapitalandatthesametimeoverproducingcapitalasfictitious
capitalthatwillhavetobedestroyed, isconclusiveevidencethattheyarenotsubordinatedto
U.S.financecapital,buthavedevelopedtheirownfinancecapital.
(1)RegionalImperialist(UnitedSecretariatoftheFourthInternational hereafterUSec)
7
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_capitalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_capitalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_capitalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_capitalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fictitious_capitalhttps://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1937/xx/spain01.htm8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
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The regional imperialist view isheldby theUSec, theofficial 'Pabloite' international that claims
falsely to representTrotsky'sFourth International,butendsupjunkingLeninon imperialismand
rehabilitatingKautskysultraimperialistpositionthattheperiodwearelivinginisnolongeroneof
interimperialistwar!
Today,capitalism
is
aglobal
intertwined
and
integrated
system
under
US
hegemony
in
a
waywhichitwasnotin1914.Thetwoworldwarsofthe20thcenturyweremainlywarsof
interimperialist rivalry togainormaintaincontrolofareasof theworld.Theoutcomeof
thesewarswas theestablishmentof theUSAby farandawayas themajorpower in the
world,rulingthecapitalistsystemthrough itsmassiveeconomicandevengreatermilitary
power, and through institutions such as theWorldBank, the IMF andNATO. This global
capitalist system has further expanded with the restoration of capitalism in Russia and
China,butthisdoesnotmeanthatinterimperialistrivalriesandthethreatofregionalwars
arenolongerontheagenda.
Theform
of
US
hegemony
in
operation
today
means
that
weaker
states
are
allowed
to
pursue their own imperialist ambitions and regional geostrategic interests, including
throughmilitaryinterventionsconditionalonthematleastnotchallengingthemainthrust
ofUSinterests;somethingwhichisdelicatetoachieveastheimperialistambitionsofRussia
andChinahavetoacertainextentbeattheexpenseofUS imperialism.Iftheystepoutof
line,theybecomeroguestatesthathavetobesubduedmilitarilyasinthecaseofIraq,or
sanctions imposedsuchas for IranandnowRussia.Tomaintainweakerstateswithin the
frameworkofUS imperialism, the latterhas to carryout a lotof sabrerattling. This is a
dangerousgame,asanyincidentsuchastheaccidentaldowningofMH17inUkraine,orof
theIranAirplanebytheUSnavyin1988killing269people,canrapidlyescalateintoafull
militaryconfrontation,
the
dynamics
of
which
may
no
longer
be
in
the
hands
of
US
imperialismanditsallies.Butsabrerattlingshouldnotbeconfusedwithadynamictowards
interimperialistwar like that leading to the twoworldwars.This isnot thenatureof the
periodtoday.
AslongasRussiaremainswithinitsregionalgeostrategicsphere,Westernimperialism(i.e.
theUSA andNATO) is not greatly concerned by Russias annexation of Crimea. The few
sanctionsagainstRussiaannouncedareso farsymbolicmainlyagainst individualsand
therearedeepdivisionsonextendingthembecauseofarmsandgasdeals,andbecauseof
theglobalisationofthecapitalistsystem.SanctionsthathurtRussiancapitalismalsoaffect
Western
capitalism.
ClaimingLeninistorthodoxy,theUSecsaysthatRussiaandChinaareunabletobecomemorethan
'regional'powersandthattheyaretoleratedbytheU.S.unlesstheychallengeUSglobalhegemony.
TheU.S.remainstheglobalpowerdominatingitsimperialistrivalswithouttheneedformajorwar.
This isaasthrowbacktoKautskysultraimperialism,wheretheU.S.can impose itsdominance
across theglobewith impunity.While the leftmustopposeRussias regional imperialistdesigns
suchas inUkraine,therecanbenowarbetweentheU.S.andRussiabecausethatwouldbackfire
anddamageU.S.imperialism. Thismeansthattheleftisdisorientedanddisarmedwhenitfailsto
recognisethedeclineoftheU.S.blocandtheriseoftheRussiaChinablocwhichexpresstheirinter
imperialistrivalryinregionaldisputesandproxywars.Andwheretheseproxywarsinevitablyblow
upintodirectmilitaryconfrontationsbetweenthetwoblocs,theleftisfacedwiththepressureto
8
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defendtheregionalimperialistpowers,RussiaandChina,againsttheworldhegemonicpower,the
U.S. ThefallaciesofthisneoKautskyismcanbeshownsimplybygoingbacktoLeninsowncritique
ofKautsky:
...thebestreplythatonecanmaketothe lifelessabstractionsofultraimperialism isto
contrast
them
with
the
concrete
economic
realities
of
the
presentday
world
economy...Comparethisrealitythevastdiversityofeconomicandpoliticalconditions,the
extremedisparity intherateofdevelopmentofthevariouscountries,etc.,andtheviolent
struggles among the imperialist states with Kautskys silly littlefable about peaceful
ultraimperialism...anexampleofthedivisionandtheredivisionoftheworld...Thequestion
is:whatmeansother thanwar could therebeundercapitalism toovercome thedisparity
between thedevelopmentof theproductiveforcesand theaccumulationofcapitalon the
one side, and the division of colonies and spheres of influenceforfinance capital on the
other?
Belowwe
will
prove
that
this
theory
is
all
the
more
applicable
today
to
explain
the
rise
of
Russia
andChinaasnew imperialistpowersdrivenby thenecessity to redivide theworldbymeansof
war.
(2) Subimperialist(SocialistFight)
GerryDowning inSocialistFighthasasimilarviewtotheUSec. Heattemptstoestablishafirmer
LeninisttheoreticalexplanationofthedifferencebetweenthedominantU.S. imperialismandthe
riseofRussiaandChinaasrivalsratherthanregionalgeography.SocialistsshouldsidewithRussia
andChinaagainsttheU.S.notbecausetheyaremereregionalorminorimperialisms,butbecause
theyare
not
imperialist,
i.e.,
sub
imperialist.
Gerry
Downing
is
not
the
only
one
who
adopts
the
conceptofsubimperialism. ItoriginatedinBraziltocharacterizethatcountrysroleintheworld.
Itmeansthatsuchstatesareintermediarybetweensemicoloniesandimperialistnations.Theyfall
shortofimperialismonthegroundsthatwhiletheycollaborateintheimperialistsuperexploitation
ofsemicolonies, theyremainsemicoloniesandareexploitedbytheUSdominated international
financecapital. Thereisnosuggestionthatsubimperialiststatescanbecomeimperialist.
Downing uses the term to acknowledgeRussia has imperialist characteristics, but is prevented
fromdeveloping intoafull imperialismbyU.S.financialhegemony.Thebarrier isnotproductivity
since the subimperialist corporations are competitivewithUS corporations, but political and
military.
Downing
claims
the
U.S.
is
in
decline
(he
implies
that
this
is
a
decline
of
manufacturing
competitiveness) andmust increasingly go towar to stop Russia and China emerging as global
rivals. Therefore the solution is for the internationalworking class todefendRussia (andChina)
fromU.S.warmongeringandintheprocesstriggerthedefeatofU.S.imperialism.
The falsepremise in this theory is the abilityofU.S. finance capital to subordinateRussian and
Chinese imperialism in thesameway itdoesothersubimperialistnations (e.g.,Brazil, Indiaor
SouthAfrica)throughcontrolofglobalfinancecapital. Downingpointsout,thatfinancecapitalis
universalyettheU.S. isableto impose itshegemonybecause itownsthebiggestbanks including
the IMFandWorldBank.SonomatterhowcompetitiveRussianandChinesecorporationsare in
the globalmarket,U.S.owned banks always take the lions share of the superprofits extracted
fromthe
semi
colonial
world.
But
to
work,
this
must
mean
that
the
U.S.
can
monopolise
finance
9
http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htmhttp://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htmhttp://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://links.org.au/node/3265http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://links.org.au/node/3265http://socialistfight.com/2014/06/19/russia-and-china-are-not-imperialist-states-statement-by-the-liaison-committee-for-the-fourth-international-on-the-useunato-attack-on-the-ukraine/http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/ch07.htm8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
10/26
capitalanditsaccumulationinRussiaorChina.Aswehaveshownelsewhere,thisisnotthecase.
JointventureswithU.S.(andEU)capitalinRussiaandChinaallowvaluetobeexpropriatedonthe
basisoflowwagesandlowrents,butbothRussiaandChinaaccumulateamajorpartofthevalue
produced.TheU.S.mayhave thebiggestbanksbut thesecannotmonopolise theproductionof
valueinRussiaorChina,andhencecannottrapthesecountriesinsubimperialism.
ThisisthesametrapthatSamWilliamsfallsintowhenhereducesfinancecapitaltomoneycapital
insearchofsurplusvalue.This isthedecisivefactor indetermining ifacountry is imperialistor
not.ButfinancecapitalisseparatedfromindustrialcapitalforWilliams,whileforMarxandLenin
financecapital isthefusionofbankand industrialcapital.SoforWilliamsfinancecapitalmakesa
claim on surplus value; it does not have to be invested in the production of surplus value. By
equating financecapitalwithmoney inbanks,Williams reduces imperialism to bigbanks. We
rejectthisnonMarxistmethodandfollowLeninscriteriaofexportoffinancecapitalasmeasured
todaybyOutwardForeignDirectInvestment(OFDI)directlyinvestedinproducingsurplusvalue. It
means thatWilliams likeDowningoverestimates thepowerofU.S.banks topreventRussiaand
Chinafrom
accumulating
value.
In
fact,
Williams
draws
the
conclusion
that
both
Russia
and
China
aresemicoloniesof theUS (seebelow).HoweverbothDowningandWilliamsoverestimate the
capacityoftheU.S.toaccumulatevalue,sincetheU.S.dollarcannotbearepositoryofvalue,and
the vast bulk of itsmoney capital value is fictitious capital.U.S. banks are technically insolvent
becausewithouttheFedprintingofU.S.dollarstheywouldbebankrupt.Thisexplainswhyfarfrom
beinghegemonic,U.S. imperialism is indeclineandmustgotowartoplunderrawmaterialsand
labourpoweras thesourcesofmorevalue.Here they face theemergencenotofsubimperialist
powers,butofnewrivalimperialistpowersthataccumulatemorerealvaluethantheU.S.andseek
toreplacetheU.S.dominatedbankingsystemwitharivalsystem.
Tofit
their
preconception
that
Russia
and
China
cannot
be
imperialist,
petty
bourgeois
Marxists
look for empirical facts to validate their theory. Fictional pseudoMarxist concepts like sub
imperialism and regional imperialism then reflect thefetishisation of the capacity of theU.S.
economytomonopolisetheproductionofvalueonthebasisoffictitiousvalue,andthedevaluing
oftheproductionofrealvaluebytheChineseandRussianeconomies.
Logically,thisleadstoareformistprogramthatisnodifferentessentiallythan21stcenturyliberal
multipolarity at the fetishised level of exchange relations. The radical concept of sub
imperialismarisesoutofUnderdevelopmentTheoryassociatedwithBaranandSweezy,inwhich
exploitation occurs at the level of exchange leading to unequal exchange. As a result the
international
class
struggle,
specifically
a
Bolivarian
type
popular
front
with
Russia
and/or
China,
or BRICS frombelow, ledbymodernMensheviks,cancreateaBRICSDevelopmentBankand
othermechanisms(e.g.,arivalSocietyforWorldwide InterbankFinancialTelecommunication
SWIFT)tochallengeU.S.dollardominationofinternationalfinancecapitaloversubimperialist
states,bringingaboutan equalisationofexchange,a redistributionofmoneyasvalue,anda
peacefulglobalsocialistutopia.
(3)CapitalistSemicolony(InternationalLeninistTrotskistFraction FLTI)
CarlosMunzeroftheFLTIarguesthatRussiaandChinaaresemicolonies.Thisisbecauseasformer
workers states when they restored capitalism they were slotted back into the global capitalist
divisionoflabour as semicolonies superexploitedby imperialism, inparticularU.S. imperialism.
10
http://critiqueofcrisistheory.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/is-russia-imperialist/http://critiqueofcrisistheory.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/is-russia-imperialist/http://critiqueofcrisistheory.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/is-russia-imperialist/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://journal-neo.org/2014/10/10/russia-in-negotiation-with-china-for-alternative-swift-bank-system/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_A._Baranhttp://critiqueofcrisistheory.wordpress.com/2014/06/01/is-russia-imperialist/8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
11/26
MunzersmainargumentagainstRussiaandChinaas imperialististhatimperialistpartitionofthe
globewascompletedbyWW1andthereforetheoppressedcountriesrecognisedbyLeninatthat
time as colonies, semicolonies or independent countries, could not make the transition to
imperialism. Munzer explains the role ofRussia andChina as that of semicolonies serving the
interests of U.S. imperialism. He explains their rapid economic growth and increased outward
foreigndirect
investment
(OFDI)
as
the
provision
of
cheap
raw
materials
and
cheap
labour
as
inputs
intoU.S.multinationalsproduction inChina.Therefore,Chinacannotprofit from itsgrowthand
accumulatecapitalinitsownright,asithastopassthelionsshareofthesurplusvalueontoU.S.
imperialism.
Aswehavepointedoutinanumberofarticlesonthisquestion,thisistheothersideofthecoinof
Pabloistempiricism.Empiricismfitsthefactstopreconceptionswithoutinvestigatingtheessence
of reality. Pablo was the main leader of the post WWII Fourth International, who argued that
Stalinismwasaprogressiveforcealliedtodemocracytosmashfascismandsowouldpoweroninto
thefuturedraggingtheworkingclassalongwithit.Thatis,hefittedthefactsthatStalinismwas
historicallyprogressive
into
apreconceived
Menshevik
schema
that
capitalism
would
peacefully
evolve intosocialismwithoutaBolshevikrevolution! Thereversesideof thisposition is tostate
onespreconceptionsasdogmaandignoreallfactsthatdontfitthedogma. ThusMunzerignores
theneed toexplain the surfaceappearancesofa superpowerand takes thedogmaticposition
that,sinceLeninexcludedtheriseofnewimperialistpowers,theeconomicexpansionofRussiaand
Chinamustbetoserveexistingimperialism.HenceMunzermadeapropagandablocwiththeJRCP
(Japan Revolutionary Communist PartyKoroda) in Japanwhich recognises Russia and China as
superpowerswhilesimultaneouslyrejectingLeninstheoryofimperialismasnolongerrelevant!
Alltheseradical leftpositionsonRussiaandChinatodayseektoapplysundryrevisionsofLenins
theoryof
imperialism
to
prove
their
preconception
that
they
are
NOT
imperialist
powers.
Williams
isperhapsthemostblatantrevisionofLeninsconceptoffinancecapitalasthemergerofbanking
and industrialcapital, tomeanmoney inbanks thathasaclaimonsurplusvalue. Thisconflates
capitalproductiveofsurplusvaluedirectly invested to realisesuperprofits,asa response to the
TendencyoftheRateoftheProfittoFall(TRPF),withfictitiouscapitalspeculatinginexistingvalues,
asasymptomoftheTRPF,i.e.theoverproductionofmoneycapital. Aswehavearguedelsewhere,
this fails to grasp the essentials of Lenins theory based on his dialecticmethod. The Bolshevik
Revolutionbroketherealitythatthewholeworldwaspartitionedamongimperialistpowers.They
spent thenext70 years invading orblockadingRussia andChina in the attempt to collapse the
Soviet blocbut only succeeded around1990. The assumption thathistory thenjumpedback to
1917and
the
imperialists
simply
squabbled
over
who
would
get
the
spoils
of
the
ex
soviet
world
cannotexplain the reality thatRussiaandChina,unlike theothersmallermembersof theSoviet
blocVietnam,Cubaetc.,didnotbecomemeresemicoloniesofoneoranotherimperialism,but
emergedasnewimperialistpowers.
ThusboththeempiricistanddogmaticdeviationsfromMarx,LeninandTrotskysdialecticsfailto
resolve thedilemma that theobviousappearanceofnew superpowerscannotbeexplainedby
otherthantheriseofnewimperialisms. Theanswertothisdilemma isprovidedbyrevolutionary
Marxistswhounderstandandapplymaterialistdialecticstoallquestions.
(D)
Revolutionary
Marxist
11
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12/26
ForMarxists this dilemma can only be resolved by recognising the reality that emerging super
powersmustbeimperialist.Multipolaritythereforeisnomasterplanforpeacefulcoexistencebut
ratheraKautskyiteStalinistMensheviksmokescreen,thrownuptodisguisetherapidescalationof
interimperialistrivalrybetweentwomajorimperialistblocs.
Aswe
have
argued,
Lenins
theory
was
based
on
materialist
dialectics
which
can
be
developed
to
explaintheriseof imperialistRussiaandChinaoutoftheashesoftheformerworkersstates.The
partition of theworld by the imperialist powerswas broken by theBolshevikRevolutionwhich
begantheprocessofformingaSovietblocwhichwas independentof imperialistdominationand
oppression. This national independence from imperialism (the overthrow of the national
bourgeoisieanddefeatofimperialistinvasions)createdtheconditionsforthedevelopmentofthe
forcesofproductionbeyondthatpossibleinacapitalistsemicolony.
Iffollowsthatwedrawpoliticalconclusionsfromdialectics.Theoryandpracticeareunited inthe
classstruggleinwhichMarxistsparticipate.Unliketheneoliberalrulingclasswhopreachcoldwar
betweennations,
and
their
liberal
ideologues
who
take
sides
according
to
which
nation
is
judged
as
oppressive, rogueor terrorist in itsuseofpower against thepeople,or the radical left that
subcontractsthedefenceofoppressedcountriestopopulistleaders,wetakeLeninspositionand
declarethattheworkingclassistheonlyrevolutionaryclassandthatourmainenemyistheruling
classofourowncountryortheimperialistpower(s)thatoppressit.Itisthefirstdutyofworkersin
theimperialistcountriestodefeattheiroppressorsathome.
TheMarxistviewisthatRussiaandChinaaredevelopingasimperialistrivalstotheU.S.ledblocof
powers.EachannualBRICSmeetinghostedbyoneorothermember,showsthat it isbecominga
newpowerblocseriouslythreateningtheU.S. ledbloc.This isnotjustevident fromthe factthat
bothRussia
and
China
clearly
display
the
features
of
imperialism,
in
particular
crises
of
overproductionandexportofcapital,butthatthroughtheirBRICSpartners,Brazil,IndiaandSouth
Africa, theyhave strongpartners inextending their influence inEurasia, MiddleEastandNorth
Africa(MENA),Asia,AfricaandSouthAmerica.
In our view only Russia and China are imperialist members of BRICS while the others are
subordinatedassemicolonies.Thisisevidentfromtheirtrade,productionandfinancedealsaswe
will show. The semicolonial BRICS serve as dutiful allies in the expansion of the Chinaled
imperialistblocintotheirrespectiveSouthAsian,LatinAmericanandAfricanspheresofinfluence.
ThosewhoarguethatallorsomeoftheBRICSareeitherregional orsubimperialistareempiricists
basing
their
arguments
on
criteria
that
owe
nothing
to
Marxism.
Patrick
Bond,
writing
in
Links,
definessubimperialismasenablingneoliberalimperialismtofurtheritspolicyofaccumulationby
dispossession.Thisisadefinitionofimperialismatthelevelofexchangewhichmeansthatallthe
BRICSactas subimperialistcroniesoragentsofU.S.andEU imperialistpowers.However,aswe
willprove,RussiaandChinaextractimperialistsuperprofitsfromtheirBRICSsemicoloniesintheir
ownright,andfarfromservingUSandEUimperialism,arethebasisoftheemergenceoftherival
China/Russiaspheresofinfluence.
What thisdynamic reflects is that the conditions thatallowedRussiaandChina toescape semi
colonialsubserviencetotheUSblocofpowersalsoenablethemtofollowthesameclassicroadof
risingimperialismscompetingwithexistingimperialisms.Thismeansexportingcapitaltothesemi
colonialworld,and thenassuperprofitsaccrue,draining thisworldofsurplusvalue,andsetting
12
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13/26
limitson the semicolonies capacity for theirown capital accumulation.Sowe candocument in
Eurasia,Africa and LatinAmerica,Russia and China acting on the basis of the laws of capitalist
accumulation.RussianandChineseForeignDirect Investment(FDI)becomesthebasisforvertical
integrationandmonopolycontrolofproduction,distributionandexchange.Asweshallsee,Russia
andChinaareexpandingtheirOFDIintothesemicolonialBRICS(notallatthesamerate)through
loansin
exchange
for
oil,
and
mergers
and
acquisitions
in
mining,
agriculture,
construction
and
manufacturing,etc.,allofwhichisdesignedtocreateamonopolyofproductionfromrawmaterials
to finishedproductsshipped tomarket. Theessenceof this is therapidlyrisingshareofsurplus
goingtoRussiaandChina,andthemuchsmallerrise inthesharegoingto India,BrazilandSouth
Africa.
Table1belowshowsthatfromaweakstartin1995whencapitalismwasbarelyrestoredinRussia
andChina, all theBRICS hadmodest levels of FDI. Since then both FDI andOFDI has increased
markedly.ButwecanseethatthetrajectoryisdifferentforRussiaandChinaontheonehandand
India, Brazil and SouthAfrica on the other. First, themagnitude of both FDI andOFDI ismuch
greaterin
the
case
of
Russia
and
China.
Second,
while
OFDI
is
55%
of
FDI
averaged
over
India,
Brazil
andSA in2013, forthesameyear,OFDIaverages80%ofFDI forRussiaandChina.This isasnap
shotofadynamicprocesshowever,andflowsofOFDIexceededflowsofFDI inRussiaafter2010
whileChina isexpected tobecomeanetexporterofFDI in2014.On theotherhandwewould
expecttheriseofOFDIinthesemicoloniestostagnateandevendeclineastheownershipofthe
MultiNationalCorporationsthatengageinexportofcapitalsuccumbstoimperialistownershipand
control.
Table1Based
on
UNCTAD
World
Investment
Report
Country
Fact
Sheets
BRICS FDIStock
in$billions
OFDIStock
in
$billions
FDIStock
in
$billions
OFDIStock
in$billions
FDIStock
in
$billions
OFDIStock
in
$billions
FDIflow
overOFDI
flow
1995 1995 2010 2010 2013 2013 2013
Russia 6 3 490 366 576 501 79/95
China 101 18 588 317 957 614 124/101
India 6 0.5 206 97 227 120 28/2
Brazil 48 45 682 191 735 293 64/4
SAfrica 15 23 180 83 140 96 8/6
ThattheBRICSsemicolonialpartnersservethe interestsofRussiaandChina isalsoevident from
the factthat this isrecognisedassuchand isprovokingaretaliatoryresponseonthepartofthe
U.S.ledbloc.ItisthisresponsethatconfirmsthatBRICSisnotmerelyanassociationofemerging
markets, 'regionalpowers',or theriseofa 'multipolar'systemthatreplacestheUS unipolarity.
Rather, it is perceived by theU.S. as a rising imperialist bloc that has created a core sphere of
influence as BRICS based on production, trade, finance and political agreements that can only
advanceatthecostofU.S.decline.Currentlywhilethetwopowerblocsare facingeachother in
MENA,AfricaandLatinAmerica,itisinEurasiawherethestakesarehighest. Herewecanseethe
growing
inter
imperialist
rivalry
escalating
from
trade
wars
to
military
confrontation
and
local
wars,
accompaniedbyrisingthreatsandnuclearsabrerattling.
13
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14/26
What ismissingon the revolutionary left isa coherent critiqueof the roleofBRICSasanew
brandofsocialimperialismfrombelowpromotedbytheWorldSocialForum(WSF)andfusing
theneoStalinistandfakeTrotskyist left intoanewbatchofMensheviks,divertingtheworkers
intoaglobalpopularfrontandtyingtheirhandsinthefaceoftheescalatingeconomic,political
andmilitarywars between the two imperialist blocs. In the absence of such a revolutionary
theorythere
is
no
program
to
unite
the
international
working
class
behind
arevolutionary
party
andarevolutionarycommunistinternational.
(1)EURASIA
ThestakesarehighestinEurasiabecauseheretheheartlandsofthetwopowerblocsconfronteach
otherdirectlyfromEuropetothePacificOcean.TheNATOpowersconfrontRussiadirectlyoverthe
Ukraine.TheU.S.and itsally JapanconfrontChinadirectlyover the territorialwatersof theEast
and South China seas. These hotspots are therefore the most convincing test of the liberal
multipolarity, radical regional / sub imperialism,andMarxist interimperialist rivalry theories.
Alreadywe
see
the
liberal
and
radical
theories
bankrupted
by
events.
In
the
Ukraine,
the
U.S.
bloc
is
usingNATOnottonegotiatethecontainmentofRussiatoprovethatitsglobalhegemonyremains
intact,butto imposeeconomicandmilitarysanctionstoweakenRussiaandchallenge itsregional
powerinEurasia.
Theresult isnotavictory for theU.S.bloc,but
the consolidation of theChina/Russia bloc and
theweakening of the links tying the European
powers to the U.S. bloc, as the two blocs
exchange political, economic and military
threats.
This is evident as Russia looks to China in
building trade relations and joint ventures to
countersanctions.Mostnotableisthehugedeal
over gas. This deal ignores the U.S., dollar
showing the petroyuan is on the way. A 21st
centurySilkRoad isbeingdriven fromChina intoEuropeandbysea fromChina into theMiddle
East. In meeting financial sanctions we have seen how BRICS is attempting to set up a rival
developmentbank tocounter theWorldBankand IMF.RussiaandChinaarenow responding to
U.S.driven
financial
sanctions
against
Russia
by
advancing
talks
to
set
up
arival
SWIFT
bank
of
international settlement that will further undermine dollar hegemony. This will integrate the
RussiaChina blocs competitive advantage in production of energy and manufacturing with a
bankingsystemthatchallengesU.S.dollarhegemony.
Maidan thecolorrevolutioninUkrainebroughttheflagsofthe
asciststothefore
Thecurrentweakeningof theEU is theoutcomeof the socalledGlobalFinancialCrisis (GFC)of
2008. The U.S. downloaded its profit crisis onto the EU and forced the weakest states into
bankruptcy.GreeceandItalyhadcrisisregimesrunbyformeremployeesoftheU.S.financebroker
GoldmanSachs,toensurethatausteritymeasuresimposedontheworkingclassmakeitpayforthe
U.S. crisis. The debt burden of the weakest states impacts heavily on Germany and France.
Germanyis
attempting
to
produce
its
way
out
of
the
risk
of
default
rather
than
money
and
is
14
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15/26
nowheavilyeconomicallyinterdependentonRussiaandincreasinglyChinaforeconomicinputsand
markets:
Merkel will be under pressure to prioritise the economic relationship even more than
beforebecauseoftheslowdowninGermanysaysHansKundnaniattheEuropeanCouncil
onForeign
Relations,
aforeign
policy
think
tank
based
in
London.
The
EU
is
Chinas
largest
tradingpartner,withGermanyaccountingforaboutonethirdoftotalSinoEUtrade.
Other European states are being torn between the two blocs. Armenia is tojoin the Eurasian
EconomicUnion(EEU). TurkeyistoconsiderjoiningtheEEU.BulgariaisdependentonRussianGas.
Serbia proposes an FTA with Russia and sides with Russia on the South Stream pipeline. This
strengthens the Russia/China bloc position with the EU as growing tension within the EU over
alignment to the rivalblocs isreflected in thestrongpopularopposition to theU.S.driven trade
warwithRussia thatwillcostjobsandprofits.TheU.S. is trying tocounter thepowerfulpullof
EurasiawithitsTransatlanticTradeandInvestmentPartnershipdeal,theTTIP. Thereiswidespread
oppositionto
this
partnership
as
advantaging
U.S.
corporations
at
the
expense
of
the
sovereign
rightsandpowersofEUstates.
Does this amount to an emerging multipolarity? Not as the liberals conceive it, since the EU
states are being pulled in two directions by the two big blocs. Nor as the radicals conceive it
becauseeverymovethatattemptstobreaktheEUawayfromRussiaChinaispullingtheEUapart
andstrengtheningtheChina/Russiabloc. TheUSisindeclineandtosurviveithastoimposecosts
on itsEUpartners.USwealth in turn isproppedupbyahugelyovervalueddollarpegged tooil
prices. TheChina/Russiabloc ison the riseandoffersbenefits to the EUwhich theU.S. cannot
match.Moreover thesecountriesarenotdoingoildeals in theirowncurrencies rather than the
U.S.
dollar.
This
dynamic
tug
of
war
over
Europe
between
a
declining
bloc
and
a
rising
bloc
invalidates thedogmatism thatU.S.dollarhegemonypreventsRussiaandChina frombecoming
morethanregionalpowers.
Tosumup,GermanyisdrawingclosertotheChina/Russiablocasaweakeningofsolidarityinside
the U.S. bloc allows Russia and China to make inroads. This is a tale of two blocs not of
multipolarity. Thewinwin liberalism is amirage as the zerosum nature of the GreatGame
unfolds.
IfwegototheothersideoftheEurasianlandmass,theAsiaPacificRim,weseethattheU.S.bloc
isrampinguphostilitytoChinasattemptstostakeclaimstooilandotherresourcesintheEastand
South China Seas. It has yet to reach the level of crisis that is evident in the direct militaryconfrontationinUkraine.Butthereisnodoubtthisisnotanegotiatedsettlementbetweenequals.
ThisisadisplayofU.S.powertodeterChinafromsteppingbeyonditsregionallimits,becausethe
U.S. fears Chinas global expansion at U.S. expense. Thus the U.S. is pushing its Trans Pacific
PartnershipAgreement (TPPA) toaquickcompletion,aheadofChinas rivalmultilateraldeal, so
that theTPPAwillallowU.S.corporations tomake further inroads intoChina. U.S. investors in
countrieslikeAustralia,NZ,Chile, ASEANmembers,etc.,thatalreadyhaveFTAswithChinawillbe
abletomaintaintheirleverageinChina. AndjustastheTPPAisthePacificpartnertotheAtlantic
TTIP,theU.S.militaryallianceRIMPAC inthePacificisthebeginningsofanequivalentofNATO in
Europe,whichsofarallowsChinatoparticipate. Nowthismayseemoddforrivalstoparticipatein
15
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16/26
jointmilitaryexercises,butthisisatemporaryquidproquoinreturnforChinasparticipationinthe
antipiracyflotillaoffeastAfricaandguardingaccesstoMiddleEastoil.
InSouthAsia,IndiaistheBRICSpartnerthatdominatesthatregion.Howeveritisnotanimperialist
powerandisdominatedbytheU.K.,JapanandU.S.imperialism.NorinourviewisIndiaaregional
orsub
imperialist
power.
A
comparison
of
Chinese
and
Indian
OFDI
shows
that
the
accumulation
ofsurpluscapital leadingtocapitalexport in India isrelativelysmallandnotrisingsignificantly in
relationtoFDI. ThedriversofOFDIarenotprimarilytheneedforrawmaterialsornewtechnology
butthemoreliberalregulatoryregime inIndiawhichallowedOFDI intolargerdevelopedmarkets
forservicesandmanufactures.WhatthisshowsisthatIndiasOFDIisnotprimarilytheresultofthe
export of capital to counter the tendency for the rate of profit to fall by sourcing cheaper raw
materials, land and labour power. Indias OFDI is much smaller than its FDI and targeted at
developedmarkets.
This indicates that itsplace in theglobaldivisionof labour isasa semicolonialsourceofsuper
profitsmore
than
the
colonial
super
exploitation
of
developing
markets.
This
supports
our
argument that longstanding semicolonies like India cannot break free of imperialist super
exploitationtobecomenew imperialistpowers. Italsomeansthat IndiaasamemberofBRICS is
nowbeing integrated into theChina/Russiablocasasemicolonialsourceofsuperprofits rather
than an emerging imperialist power, in the same way that Brazil and South Africa are. This is
confirmedbythevulnerabilityofthesethreeBRICStothegreatrecessionof2008whichsawtheir
growthrateslagcomparedtothoseofRussiaandChina.
Letslookattheevidence.IsIndiabecomingasemicolonyofRussiaChinaratherthanU.S.andEU
imperialism?Notyet.ChinaisIndiasmaintradingpartnerwithtwowaytradereaching$70billion
in2013.
Its
trade
deficit
with
China
was
$40
billion.
The
comparative
figure
for
U.S.
India
trade
is
$64billionwhile theUShasa tradedeficitof$20billion.Butbeyond tradeChinahasyet toget
begin seriously investing in India. US FDI stock since 2000 is $12.2 bn compared with Chinas
miniscule $0.4 bn in the same period. It remains to be seen if China uses BRICS to strengthen
economic and political relations and overtake the US, Japan and U.K. as the main imperialist
investorsinIndia. PresidentXiJinpingspromiseofaloanof$20bnduringhisrecentvisittoIndia
fellwellshortofPrimeMinisterModisexpectations:
Duringhis[election]campaign,ModiwaswageringthatIndiawouldincreaseitseconomic
mightandstrengthenitspositionintheworld,andhewaslookingtoeconomiccooperation
with
China
as
a
way
to
achieve
that
goal.
Modi
gives
China
credit
for
its
economic
buildup,
and he is striving to transfer its experience to benefit Indias industrial growth. He is
primarilypinninghishopesonChinesedirectinvestment,whichinthelast14yearshasnot
exceeded$400millionbecauseofpreviouspolicyrestrictions.
GivenChinasrecentemergenceasanimperialistpower,andthelongstandingdominationofIndia
byU.K.,JapanandtheU.S.,Chinasrelationshipisstillmainlyaboutexportingcheapmanufactures
to India. Yet the trajectoryof itsdynamic relationshipwillprobably follow the samepatternas
Brazil and South Africa where it has developed FDI from resource extraction to include
infrastructureand/orsettingupbranchfactoriesproducinghomeappliances,autos,etc. Bilateral
relationsbetweenIndiaandRussiapoint inthesamedirectionwithdeals intheareasofdefence,
spaceandnuclearenergy.
16
http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eai.nus.edu.sg%2FVol2No2_ZhaoHong.pdf&ei=rZI9VJv9Odbs8AWPg4LwCw&usg=AFQjCNG8tm5_geUAtye0djyBf5rgDtBl2A&sig2=U8X2IdQFZGSXolDRTJtmoQ&bvm=bv.77412846,d.dGchttp://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eai.nus.edu.sg%2FVol2No2_ZhaoHong.pdf&ei=rZI9VJv9Odbs8AWPg4LwCw&usg=AFQjCNG8tm5_geUAtye0djyBf5rgDtBl2A&sig2=U8X2IdQFZGSXolDRTJtmoQ&bvm=bv.77412846,d.dGchttp://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eai.nus.edu.sg%2FVol2No2_ZhaoHong.pdf&ei=rZI9VJv9Odbs8AWPg4LwCw&usg=AFQjCNG8tm5_geUAtye0djyBf5rgDtBl2A&sig2=U8X2IdQFZGSXolDRTJtmoQ&bvm=bv.77412846,d.dGchttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttps://ideas.repec.org/a/umk/journl/v3y2011i1p113-148.htmlhttps://ideas.repec.org/a/umk/journl/v3y2011i1p113-148.htmlhttps://ideas.repec.org/a/umk/journl/v3y2011i1p113-148.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://online.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-hopes-to-rekindle-u-s-corporate-investment-1411664078http://online.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-hopes-to-rekindle-u-s-corporate-investment-1411664078http://online.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-hopes-to-rekindle-u-s-corporate-investment-1411664078http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://in.rbth.com/articles/2010/08/10/trade_investment_cooperation_russia_india_04592.htmlhttp://in.rbth.com/articles/2010/08/10/trade_investment_cooperation_russia_india_04592.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttp://online.wsj.com/articles/indias-modi-hopes-to-rekindle-u-s-corporate-investment-1411664078http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/18/india-china-trade-deals-xi-delhihttps://ideas.repec.org/a/umk/journl/v3y2011i1p113-148.htmlhttps://www.google.co.nz/search?q=China+and+India+outward+FDI&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb&gfe_rd=cr&ei=rZI9VNL1L_DC8gfu9IHgBAhttp://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eai.nus.edu.sg%2FVol2No2_ZhaoHong.pdf&ei=rZI9VJv9Odbs8AWPg4LwCw&usg=AFQjCNG8tm5_geUAtye0djyBf5rgDtBl2A&sig2=U8X2IdQFZGSXolDRTJtmoQ&bvm=bv.77412846,d.dGc8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
17/26
(2)MENA
TheMiddleEast isonce againproven tobeanongoing siteof interimperialist rivalry viaproxy
wars.NosoonerhadIsraelslatestbombardmentofGazaendedinafragileceasefire,thantheISIS
beganits
campaign
in
Iraq
and
Syria.
The
rise
of
ISIS
challenged
the
pact
between
the
two
rival
blocs. The relative stalemate between the imperialist powers in Iraq and Syria as part of the
containmentoftheArabRevolutionbroke
down again asObama launched another
war in these countries. Everywhere we
canseetheevidenceofthe latentrivalry
between the rising bloc against the
declining bloc. The Arab Revolution had
notbeencontainedby theNATOpowers
and by Israel without the rise of Islamic
militancyfilling
the
vacuum
left
by
the
relative weakness of the secular left. To
counterthisthreat,theUShaschosento
compromisewiththeBRICS(Russia,China
andtheirclientIranandpossiblyEgypt)so
longasthisdoesnotthreaten itspowerbase inMENA.TheUS initially lookedto Iran,backedby
China and Russia to restabilise Iraq. However, after its collaboration in replacing Maliki with
anotherShiaheadofgovernment, theU.S.and Iranhavenot reachedagreementon the latters
participationinthecoalitionagainstIS.Thustherivalinterestsofthetwoblocsarerevealedbythe
directreturnoftheUStomilitaryinterventioninMENA.
FreeKurdsdonotrecogniseborders
ObamasnewturntowarontheIslamicState(formerlyISIS)isbeingsoldasacontinuationofthe
waronterrorbut itsrealtarget istocontainChinaandtheBRICS influence inMENA.Underthe
pretext of a war on IS terror, theU.S. keeps a military presence inMENA to counter Chinas
growing influenceontheArabstates. ThewaragainstISwillbea longwarandinevitably leadto
thepartitionofIraq into(1)anIslamicStatetoleratedbyAssad,RussiaandTurkeyasabarrierto
theArabandKurdsocialrevolutions;(2)aKurdishstateinIraqbackedbytheU.S.againsttheKurd
socialrevolution;and(3)aShiastateinthesouthbackedbyIranandChina,eachstakingoutrival
oilclaims. Butnoneofthesemilitarisedstateswillinthelongrunbeabletosuppressthemasses
byinvokingsectarianorreligiousterror.
SyriaandLibyawillalsobedrawnintothewarontheIslamicStatecreatingrivalnationalbourgeois
factions backed by the China and U.S. blocs against the masses and radical Islam. NATO
intervention in Libya was unpopular in Africa and MENA, with China and South Africa backing
Gadaffi.Yetneithersidewasabletodisarmtherebelsandthereopeningofcivilwarwillseeboth
blocs try tocontrol theoutcomewithBRICSbacking thearmed rebelsagainst theNATObacked
regime. Iftherevolutionary international forcesdonot intervenetosupporttheArabrevolution,
therivalblocswillcontinuetofightproxywarstodefendtheirinterestsattheexpenseoftheArab
Revolution.
Syriatoday
also
reflects
astalemate
where
the
BRICS
power
Russia
backs
Assad
while
the
U.S.
and
itsSaudiandGulfalliesbacktheirfactions intheopposition.Turkey isbalancedbetweenthetwo
17
http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/u-s-imperialists-out-of-iraq-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-for-workers-struggle-to-defeat-imperialism-in-the-near-east/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/u-s-imperialists-out-of-iraq-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-for-workers-struggle-to-defeat-imperialism-in-the-near-east/http://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/u-s-imperialists-out-of-iraq-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-for-workers-struggle-to-defeat-imperialism-in-the-near-east/http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2014/4133egypt_new_course.htmlhttp://rt.com/usa/187916-iran-ayatollah-isis-coalition.http://www.ecns.cn/business/2014/06-06/117663.shtmlhttp://www.ecns.cn/business/2014/06-06/117663.shtmlhttp://www.ecns.cn/business/2014/06-06/117663.shtmlhttp://roarmag.org/2014/07/rojava-autonomy-syrian-kurds/http://roarmag.org/2014/07/rojava-autonomy-syrian-kurds/http://www.ecns.cn/business/2014/06-06/117663.shtmlhttp://rt.com/usa/187916-iran-ayatollah-isis-coalition.http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2014/4133egypt_new_course.htmlhttp://cwgusa.wordpress.com/2014/10/03/u-s-imperialists-out-of-iraq-the-middle-east-and-north-africa-for-workers-struggle-to-defeat-imperialism-in-the-near-east/8/10/2019 BRICS around the neck of the proletariat
18/26
blocssinceitsmainconcernistostoptheKurdishsocialrevolutioninRojavafromdestabilisingthe
Turkishstate. Sofarneithersideisabletowinbutgiventhefailureoftheworldrevolutionaryleft
todecisivelyinterveneonthesideoftherevolutionarymasses,aprolongedstalemateislikely.
While there isnoclearoutcomeyet inMENA, it isobvious that theU.S.andChina ledblocsare
stakingout
their
oil
holdings,
not
as
partners
but
as
rivals.
However
MENA
is
repartitioned,
this
is
clearlynotaprocessinwhichRussiaandChinaaremereregionalpowers,noraretheyengagedina
negotiated rebalancing of U.S. 'unipolarity' as 'multipolarity.' Imperialism is a zerosum game.
Whilethepowerblocsmaycooperatetosuppressthemasses,intheenditisthemassesthatwill
pay for their crises and wars unless an independent workers movement throws out both
imperialismandtheirmercenaryregimes.
(3)Africa
NickTurseclaimsthatWashingtonsPivottoAfricanowinvolvesAfricomin49of54countries. Its
objectiveis
to
checkmate
Chinas
reach
into
Africa.
If
we
want
atest
case
that
proves
the
point
that
RussiaandChinaareneithersubimperialistnorregionalimperialismsweonlyneedtolookatthe
war inSouthSudan.Here, there isabrutalproxywar thatprovesbeyonddoubtthattheUSand
Chinaaredeadlyrivals in thewar foroil.Nick
TursewritesthatSouthSudanissecondonlyto
LiberiaasastatethattheU.S.hasproppedup
in the hope of creating a democratic
bridgehead inAfrica.Butafterpumpingmany
billionsofdollarstobreaktheSouthawayfrom
theNorth,theexperimenthasfailed.ItisChina
thathas
stolen
the
march
and
controls
most
of
theoiland isbankrolling thenewregime.The
warthat isnowraging isaproxywarbetween
the regime armedbyChina and a rebel army
backedbyUgandaandtheU.S.
ChinapresentsitselfinAfricaasanequalpartnerindevelopment,makingwinwindealswhich
createsdoublehappiness.Againstthispropaganda,HowardFrench, inhisrecentbookChinas
Second Continent, recounts one ofmany cases inwhich Chinese investment in Africa exploits
African labourandnatural resources.TheChambishiCopperMine inZambia revealsa recordof
labourabuse
and
violence
against
protesting
workers.
It
is
obvious
that
Chinese
firms
will
try
to
pay
starvation wages ($100 a month versus a $700 subsistence cost of living) and impose unsafe
workingconditions,whenitcangetawaywithit.AfteradecadeofsuperexploitationatChambishi
underasuccessionofproChinaregimesachangeofgovernmentin2011almostovernightforceda
wage increaseof85%.DeputyMinisterofLabour inthenewMichaelSatagovernment,a former
miningworke