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Teresa's avatar

As an American I choose China. What's happening here, now, is just an extension of what we've always done, at home and throughout the world. We have over 1000 military bases, we overthrow governments, stage coups, infiltrate with paid agitators and militias, murder and maim until each country, one by one, bends to our will. Which means, stealing their riches and natural resources, gold, uranium, oil, cobalt, on and on, we then begin subjugating and raping our way through the population but not before murdering and torturing their leaders. Plop a military base on it and we're on to the next one. And we have the nerve to call anyone else terrorists, or school them in behavior.

Robert Billyard's avatar

I find this discussion very interesting and thought provoking. I see the US as trapped in a situation as a declining power trapped where it can no longer project its power globally but has enough residual power to do a lot of damage-- which we are seeing now. Its proposed power projections are more and more pretensions. The Trump administration are the delusional die hards sifting through the ashes and will eventually be replaced by administrations willing to face the new world realities-- when and if this essential transition happens is the big big question?? The deep state and the vested interests running the country are so deeply embedded any positive transition may be impossible. As long as the US pursues its present course it is in the long run marginalizing itself as a pariah failed state. Asia's dramatic rise has shown that economic, not military prowess take the measure of the global structures. America's refusal to embrace 21st century realities appears its ultimate downfall. As Chalmers Johnson observed too long ago those US aircraft carriers are still trying to find the Japanese fleet of yore.

Steve Carmo's avatar

Good points. I'm constantly drawn to the idea of an empire reaching it's decadent stage and causing havoc in it's death throes. Rome slamming it's gates shut on us barbarians out here, and leaving us to deal with the consequences of the chaos left behind. America First. It worked out better for the subject states than it did for the Romans, ultimately. Mark Carney certainly points the way forward. My only concern is that I don't particularly want to see parts of Europe becoming the new Constantinople, although I'm sure Farage wouldn't have any objections.

Ivan Belinsky's avatar

replaces class analysis with moral language—“mutual cooperation,” “shared development,” “South–South solidarity.”

But there is no Global South acting as a class. There are only capitalist states, each led by a ruling class pursuing its material interests.

Under capitalism, cooperation among states is impossible in principle. Capital competes, expands, and dominates. Whether it is the West, China, or India, all export capital, seek markets, secure resources, and protect their own bourgeoisie.

China’s relations with Africa and Latin America follow a clear imperialist logic:

capital export and debt-based leverage

infrastructure tied to Chinese firms

extraction of minerals and commodities

reinforcement of dependent, primary-export economies

alliances with comprador bourgeois regimes, not workers

This is unequal exchange, not mutual development.

Different from Western imperialism in style, not in class character.

A genuinely ML speech would openly name:

imperialism

unequal relations

class struggle

China’s own material interests

Instead, this speech offers bourgeois internationalism—state harmony without class struggle.

Charles Wylie Kelly's avatar

China has both vision and a plan. The USA has neither.

Ahenobarbus's avatar

"China is socialist."

You state this like an undisputed fact. China is not Imperialist, yes. That's why I support it against the Zio Imperialist United States government of billionaires. However, China is most certainly a Capitalist country, regardless of what it calls itself. If you were able to do some investigating in China and spoke with some of its millions of workers, you would find that surplus value is extracted from them for the benefit of Chinese billionaires. They said, those billionaires are kept under a strict control by the Chinese government, which is again, it's great advantage over the US. In the US, the billionaires can and do simply rent the government and run it as anti socially as they like. I hate to be pedantic but terminology in politics must be precise in order to understand the phenomenon in view.

Ben Norton's avatar

China is absolutely socialist. I made a detailed presentation explaining this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E89qUXTX-k

F.I. Munger's avatar

Ultimately, the Chinese model of capitalism is what Adam Smith originally envisioned.

The Revolution Continues's avatar

"The monopolization of global power by a small number of countries is unpopular. We live in a multipolar world and need to practice true multilateralism."

Such wise words spoken by Foreign Minister Wang Yi! If we can't all cooperate and work together, how can we expect to solve the world's most daunting problems--especially global climate change issues. The Chinese are leading the world in a positive direction. The US should follow their example.

F.I. Munger's avatar

Bipolar world… and that's a good thing

Or maybe Elon will build a huuuuge space ship.