The Russia as "Imperialist" Thesis Is Wrong and a Barrier to (Ukrainian) Solidarity

[The Magistrate]

8. This Bit Is Truly Priceless, Sir

'The role of finance capital is the benchmark of any measure of the core nature of a capitalist country. In Russia, it is nothing resembling that of the imperialist countries. It's the state, not finance capital, which plays the overriding, directing role in Russia's economy. The state happens to own much of the vaunted oil and gas industries; so too in finance and much of manufacturing. The CIA Factbook explains some of the consequences thusly: "The protection of property rights is still weak and the private sector remains subject to heavy state interference."'

That is pretty much a straight recycled description of the old Soviet 'state capitalism' system, and hardly exempts any state from accurate description as an imperialist state, save perhaps in the most doctrinaire of old-thinking Marxist circles. It is certainly no grounds for leftists to rally to the support of Russian imperialism in Ukraine.