Monday 18 October 2010

Imperialism Index

1. The Idiot Imperialists, argues that the response to those on the Left who have abandoned Marxist principles in favour of a crude “anti-imperialism” that lines them up with the most reactionary, anti-working class forces on no other basis than that those forces are opposed to “imperialism”, is not to abandon Marxist principles in favour of a neutral, or even positive attitude to imperialism.

2. Histry Rides Again, looks at the claims of bourgeois writers who proclaimed the “End Of History” after the collapse of Stalinism.

3. Return Of The Idiot Imperialists

4. Support Zimbabwean Workers Now, argues that Marxists looking to support workers and peasants in Zimbabwe have to look to the example of the International Brigade, not to the Liberal, Pacifist solutions that rely on a humanitarian imperialist intervention. Marxists should criticise the remaining “Workers' States”, for not intervening to support Zimbabwean workers, and should look to the large Labour Movement in South Africa to mobilise to support its comrades next door.

5. What If Iran Attacks Israel, examines the “Idiot Imperialism” of the AWL by reversing its question.

6. Israel And The USS Liberty looks at the attack in the 1960's by Israel on a US Intelligence gathering ship, and suggestions it was done to provide a reason for the US to nuke Cairo.

7. Israel, Iran And Reason, looks again at the AWL's arguments.

8. South Ossetia Falls Victim To The Rise Of Bourgeois Nationalism, examines the Georgian attack in the light of the question of self-determination, and how imperialism and its apologists were utilising it.

9. Georgia And Russia Out of Ossetia, argues a plague on both their houses, and for international workers solidarity.

10. More Left Confusion Over War, looks at the response of some on the left to the AWL's position on Israel/Iran, in the context of the meaning of “Revolutionary Defeatism”.

11. Whoop Ass And Class Politics, sets out why the “A Team” is not a good model for a response to aggression.

12. Imperialist Hypocrisy, looks at the different responses to Kosova and Ossetia both by Imperialism, and its apologists.

13. The Stalinist Nature Of The AWL's Politics, examines the political basis of the AWL's politics on international questions.

14. Gates Blows The Gaff sets out how US Defence Secretary Robert Gates had undermined the claims of the Georgian Government.

15. Crimes & Misdemeanours looked at the on going dispute in Ossetia and Abkhazia in relation to the question of self-determination.

16. Third World War, argued that the current situation had many similarities to that at the end of the 19th Century, which led Engels to conclude that an Imperialist War was coming.

17. Georgian War Crimes

18. A New Indictment Of Georgia

19. Remember This, discusses what we should really think about on Remembrance Day.

20. Marxists The State And War, examines the role of Lassallean Statism in relation to the position adopted on Imperialism and War by two opposing groups – the AWL and Permanent Revolution.

21. Global Zero – De Ja Vu examines the proposal by Richard Branson in the light of similar Pacifist Appeals in the past, and how Marxists should fight against War.

22. Imperialism, Globalisation And The Value Of Labour Power, argues that a single Imperialist World Economy, is creating a single Value of Labour Power with serious implications for Western workers.

23. Kautsky And Colonialism, economic arguments on why Colonialism needed to expand.

24. Wal-Mart In India, argues that a Marxist position has nothing in common with a Liberal, reactionary moralism.

25. Imperialism, Industrialisation And Trade is a reproduction of a 1982 document I wrote as a member of the WSL with some recent commentary.

26. Imperialism And The New International Division Of Labour, as above.

27. Imperialism And War, is the final of what are essentially a trilogy of documents on Imperialism, and form the basis of my current views on that issue. The analysis of the three documents has been pretty much vindicated in the 30 years since they were written.

28. Where Failure To Oppose Imperialism Leads You examines the refusal of the AWL to oppose imperialist intervention in Libya, and their uncritical support for the Islamist "rebels" simply on the Basis that they were "anti-Gaddafi".

29. The Degeneration Of Theory examines how far the AWL's position has been removed from that of Marxism in relation to Imperialist intervention in places like Libya, and how it has led them to line up with clerical-fascist forces, where they have been on the same side as the Imperialists.

30. AWL Apologism Sinks To new Low On Libya examines the way the AWL adopt contradictory positions in determining which groups of Islamists they will support or oppose.  Instead of analysing the situation in terms of the materials conditions, which give rise to Bonapartist regimes, they simply adopt a moralistic approach, of what would be a nice liberal outcome.

31. Is The US preparing To Ditch Israel? examines the way the US had been moving closer to the Gulf Monarchies at the expense of Israel.

32. An AWL Politics Master Class looks at how the AWL develops its policy on Imperialism as a perfect example of how it should not be done by Marxists.

33. Liberal Interventionism And The Law Of Unintended Consequences examines how events in various countries are part of a complex whole, so no single event can be treated as though it is discrete.  It examines Trotsky's writings in relation to the Balkan Wars, and his opposition to imperialist intervention.

34. Trotsky v The Interventionists continues the analysis of Trotsky's writings on the Balkans, and the lessons he learned from it of why Marxists have to vehemently oppose imperialist intervention.

35. Lessons Of The Balkans examines Trotsky's writings on the Balkan Wars, and his opposition to imperialist intervention in order to see what lessons it provides in relation to events in the Middle East.

36. Oppose Turkish Intervention in Israel/Palestine examines the growing power of Turkey in the region and the danger of neo-Ottomanism.

37. Turkey, Israel, NATO and Patriot Missiles asks what the real reason was for Turkey demanding the installation of Patriot Missiles on its soil.

38. Are Israel's Days Numbered? examines the danger to Israel from a growing alliance between the US and the Gulf States, which in turn stand behind the jihadis seeking to take control in various countries on Israel's borders, along with the growing power of the Islamist Government in Turkey.

39. Imperialist Hypocrisy Once More looks at the position of Imperialism in relation to Mali compared to their support for the same jihadi forces in Libya and Syria.

40. AWL, Mali, Libya and The Islamists looks at just how the bureaucratic centrist politics of the AWL in relation to imperialist intervention loaned them in total confusion in relation to Mali.

41. The US, UK Al Qaeda Alliance looks at how the US and UK have lined up with anti-democratic regimes in the Gulf, and with the jihadis fighting in Libya and Syria, in ways that are reminiscent of previous ventures such as the Iran-Contra scandal.

42. 1975 Vietnam - 2013 Afghanistan compares the pull-out of Afghanistan and inevitable take over by the Taliban to the US defeat in Vietnam in 1975.