A little more than a century ago the world’s superpower was the British Empire. Despite being a constitutional monarchy where the aristocracy and monarchy still retained significant power, the British Empire was arguably the birthplace of the industrial revolution and it played a significant role in spreading capitalism around the world through colonialism. From around the 19th century until the early 20th century, many saw the British Empire as quite possibly the most affluent and powerful capitalist-colonial empire in the world. The British Empire as the capitalist-colonial hegemon extracts resources from its colonies, transforms them into commodities, and sells them for a profit that would go into the pockets of capitalists and royal colonizers alike. There were other competing colonizers such as France, The Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Japan, and the U.S., but none of them (except the U.S. in the late 20th century) could quite surpass the British Empire. The British Empire was the largest epicenter of world capitalist imperialism and being an anti-imperialist was almost (though not quite) synonymous with being against the British Empire. The geopolitical status of the British Empire is roughly or loosely analogous to the geopolitical status that the U.S. enjoyed since the late 20th century. Both the British Empire and the U.S. enjoy the status of being a hegemonic empire due to their overwhelmingly powerful military (especially their navy) and almost unparalleled economic power.
Tag: Global South
Full text of Xinhua’s interview with Putin
MOSCOW, May 15 (Xinhua) — On the eve of his two-day state visit to China, which starts on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin took a written interview with Xinhua.
Anti-Coup Rebellion in Eastern Ukraine Completes 10 Years as Russian Forces Continue Advancing in Donetsk
April 2014 was a pivotal month for the people of the Donbass region in what was then still part of Ukraine. It was then that the governing regime was newly installed in Kiev by a coup d’état on February 20/21embarked on military hostilities against the people of the region. The coup overthrew Ukraine’s elected president and legislature. It sparked rebellion in Crimea, Donbass (Lugansk and Donetsk), and in towns and cities in other regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.
Xi’s whirlwind European tour, playing mediator to mixed reviews
The question is, will the US see this as a benefit or continue to play critic?
Xi’s whirlwind European tour, playing mediator to mixed reviews
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China Forges Ahead Amid Challenges and Shifting Global Dynamics
This article presents a critical analysis of navigating headwinds and seizing opportunities in China’s economic crossroads, based on Yaroslav Lissovolik’s blog.
China Forges Ahead Amid Challenges and Shifting Global Dynamics
Sean Gervasi, 1992 lecture: The US Strategy to Dismantle the USSR
Sean Gervasi, 1992 lecture: The US Strategy to Dismantle the USSR
Related RAND Corporation documents:
Economic factors affecting Soviet foreign and defense policy: a summary outline
The Costs of the Soviet Empire
Sitting on bayonets : the Soviet defense burden and the slowdown of Soviet defense spending
Brazil: Haiti and Latin American Imperialists
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Brazil reinforces border with Venezuela, Guyana with armored vehicles
Guyana, Brazil expand strategic military cooperation
Growing US Military Presence in Brazil
From 2004 to 2017, Brazil led the military component of the United Nations-backed peacekeeping mission to Haiti known as MINUSTAH. Since the U.N. Security Council authorized a new mission to Haiti last October, however, Brasília has been shy about supporting the operation. Brazil has offered to train Haitian police forces, but it has declined multiple requests from both the United States and United Nations to provide forces or financing for a new mission.
Putin: A Champion of the Global South?
Moscow’s defiance of Western elements, particularly the economic sanctions and the military aid to Ukraine, has not only set an example for other nations to follow but also eroded the legitimacy of the West’s ideological supremacy.
Putin: A Champion of the Global South?
Kosovo War at 25: Blair’s secret invasion plot to ‘topple Milosevic’ revealed
Top secret papers reviewed by The Grayzone reveal Tony Blair demanded strikes on civilian targets in Yugoslavia days before NATO attacked them. While the UK military acknowledged a NATO strike on Hotel Jugoslavia would mean inflicting “some civilian casualties,” it insisted the deaths were “worth the cost.”
Kosovo War at 25: Blair’s secret invasion plot to ‘topple Milosevic’ revealed
Related:
Trump invites Chinese to build US auto plants
Trump invites Chinese to build US auto plants
Trump’s offer to China went unreported in virtually all media. Mainstream US media attacked the former president for using the term “bloodbath” to describe the impact of prospective Chinese imports on the American auto industry, implying that he had threatened actual violence if he was not elected. But the transcript of his remarks at a Dayton, Ohio, rally makes clear that he was referring to industry conditions.
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