EADaily, August 22nd, 2025. The Russian Federation reserves the right to use tactical nuclear weapons in response to strikes by Western long-range missiles deep into its territory.
Russia has no colonies. As the USSR, it was an anti-imperialist and anti-colonial force. After its dissolution, the economy imploded and is still recovering. It has had no opportunity to gain colonies like it had under the Tsar, even if they wanted to.
NATO started as an anti-communist alliance, with terrorist operations like Operation Gladio. Now, it maintains its status as the strongest alliance of imperialist countries on the planet. It’s as “defensive” as the Israeli “Defense” Force is.
Anyone can accuse a country of imperialism. Ultimately, people argue over the definitions of imperialism, and those hostile to a country will cling to the accusations, regardless of merit. Russia does not meet the Marxist intetpretation of imperialism or neocolonialism, but that doesn’t stop the west from trying to pin that on them.
If you’re changing the goalposts here from imperialism to the ‘marxist interpretation of imperialism’ would you disagree that a key characteristics of marxist imperialism is monopolistic capitalism, or that imperialism arises from the concentration of economic power in the hands of powerful monopolies and cartels within capitalist nation, which Russia’s oligarchs is a prime example of?
I’m not changing the goalposts, the Marxist conception of imperialism originates mostly with Lenin’s advancements on Hobson. Those who wish to minimize and generalize imperialism erase its ties to monopoly capitalism, and make it about any kind of millitant action, which is a step backwards from even Hobson.
Either way, Russia does not have monopolies on a global scale. They are nationalist and deeply capitalist, but have an inwardly driven economy, not an outwardly driven one. If Russia had the ability to truly become a world monopolistic power, then it would be imperialist, but it lacks the financial capital to do so as well as the open countries to imperialize that aren’t already under the thumb of the west.
The US Empire, on the other hand, is a prime example of having monopolies on a global scale, and using its millitary to keep this going.
The Marxist interpretation of imperialism says imperialism arises from the concentration of economic power in the hands of powerful monopolies and cartels within the capitalist nation which is pretty clear that it isn’t talking about monopolies on a global scale.
Being nationalist and deeply capitalist in an inwardly driven economy seems to fall squarely into the definition making Russia an imperialist state by the marxist definition.
No, the monopoly stage of capitalism is a prerequisite for imperialism, not imperialism itself. Imperialism is economically compelled by reaching the monopoly stage, it arises from the conditions you set out but is not itself those conditions. A country cannot imperialize itself. I recommend reading at least the Prolewiki article on imperialism, but reading Lenin’s Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism is well worth it.
Even if Russia barely fails to meet your strict standards of marxist imperialism calling Russia an imperialist state isn’t incorrect though because the common definition of imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force which can hardly be argued that Russia isn’t actively doing both of those things.
Russia is literally a colonial power. NATO is a defensive alliance of countries that don’t want to be gobbled up by the Russian empire.
Name a Russian colony
Chechnya… Georgia… Azerbaijan…
You manged to name a Turkish colony there, have a gold star for trying.
Russia has no colonies. As the USSR, it was an anti-imperialist and anti-colonial force. After its dissolution, the economy imploded and is still recovering. It has had no opportunity to gain colonies like it had under the Tsar, even if they wanted to.
NATO started as an anti-communist alliance, with terrorist operations like Operation Gladio. Now, it maintains its status as the strongest alliance of imperialist countries on the planet. It’s as “defensive” as the Israeli “Defense” Force is.
Russian imperialism.
Anyone can accuse a country of imperialism. Ultimately, people argue over the definitions of imperialism, and those hostile to a country will cling to the accusations, regardless of merit. Russia does not meet the Marxist intetpretation of imperialism or neocolonialism, but that doesn’t stop the west from trying to pin that on them.
If you’re changing the goalposts here from imperialism to the ‘marxist interpretation of imperialism’ would you disagree that a key characteristics of marxist imperialism is monopolistic capitalism, or that imperialism arises from the concentration of economic power in the hands of powerful monopolies and cartels within capitalist nation, which Russia’s oligarchs is a prime example of?
I’m not changing the goalposts, the Marxist conception of imperialism originates mostly with Lenin’s advancements on Hobson. Those who wish to minimize and generalize imperialism erase its ties to monopoly capitalism, and make it about any kind of millitant action, which is a step backwards from even Hobson.
Either way, Russia does not have monopolies on a global scale. They are nationalist and deeply capitalist, but have an inwardly driven economy, not an outwardly driven one. If Russia had the ability to truly become a world monopolistic power, then it would be imperialist, but it lacks the financial capital to do so as well as the open countries to imperialize that aren’t already under the thumb of the west.
The US Empire, on the other hand, is a prime example of having monopolies on a global scale, and using its millitary to keep this going.
The Marxist interpretation of imperialism says imperialism arises from the concentration of economic power in the hands of powerful monopolies and cartels within the capitalist nation which is pretty clear that it isn’t talking about monopolies on a global scale.
Being nationalist and deeply capitalist in an inwardly driven economy seems to fall squarely into the definition making Russia an imperialist state by the marxist definition.
No, the monopoly stage of capitalism is a prerequisite for imperialism, not imperialism itself. Imperialism is economically compelled by reaching the monopoly stage, it arises from the conditions you set out but is not itself those conditions. A country cannot imperialize itself. I recommend reading at least the Prolewiki article on imperialism, but reading Lenin’s Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism is well worth it.
Even if Russia barely fails to meet your strict standards of marxist imperialism calling Russia an imperialist state isn’t incorrect though because the common definition of imperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force which can hardly be argued that Russia isn’t actively doing both of those things.
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No. 👍
Entire eastern Europe: *cough* *cough*
The SSRs were not colonies, they were a part of the broad USSR as a socialist economy.
Of course they were.
Yes, they were not colonies and were indeed parts of the broad socialist economy.
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I’m a communist for free, I don’t get paid to be a Marxist-Leninist. In fact, I pay dues.
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😂😂😂
What do you disagree with? Specifically.
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Nice bit of ableism and conspiracy theorism there, a classic duo!