NATO is and will be the instigator of any possible conflict. What I don't understand however is why tensions are so high - does Putin not do a good enough job for western imperialist capital in the now-capitalist Russia federation?
Well, in 90s early 2000s russia was extremely ope to foreign investors, now biggest slices are domestically owned, and profits are heavily taxed on transfer to other countries. Basically russians can rob the country, but other people have barriers. So no, not good enough.
Fantastically, they are currently proposing reducing barriers for capital movements out of russia.
Russia may be capitalist but they don't quite "bend the knee" to US geopolitical interests, I think that's the issue. Countries like the UK, Germany, Japan... they have some nominal freedom to guide their own foreign policy but when it comes to stuff that really matters, when have any of the US-aligned nations seriously challenged US imperialist foreign policy? The Iraq invasion, for example... even the allies that didn't buy in like the UK did more or less kept their mouths shut the whole time. Russia doesn't play along so they need to be "brought to heel", so to speak. Why now specifically though, idk.
But plundering often takes a middleman/proxy. We call them the comprador bourgeoise and they always get their cut too. But the ruling class of Russia is not willing to play the part for now huh? It seems to me like war is bad for business. Either way the Russian people continue to suffer whether it's under imperial sanctions or the domination of the domestic bourgeoise.
This is something I've been wondering about. Russia is what the west made, so what's the problem? In broad strokes, my recent theory is that the Russian masses are unreliable, regardless of their government, and at any point could withold vast amounts of labor and natural resources. So, it's important to continually encircle and weaken them. Is the conflict in Ukraine not largely about threatening Russian access to it's only warm water ports?
NATO is and will be the instigator of any possible conflict. What I don't understand however is why tensions are so high - does Putin not do a good enough job for western imperialist capital in the now-capitalist Russia federation?
Well, in 90s early 2000s russia was extremely ope to foreign investors, now biggest slices are domestically owned, and profits are heavily taxed on transfer to other countries. Basically russians can rob the country, but other people have barriers. So no, not good enough.
Fantastically, they are currently proposing reducing barriers for capital movements out of russia.
Russia may be capitalist but they don't quite "bend the knee" to US geopolitical interests, I think that's the issue. Countries like the UK, Germany, Japan... they have some nominal freedom to guide their own foreign policy but when it comes to stuff that really matters, when have any of the US-aligned nations seriously challenged US imperialist foreign policy? The Iraq invasion, for example... even the allies that didn't buy in like the UK did more or less kept their mouths shut the whole time. Russia doesn't play along so they need to be "brought to heel", so to speak. Why now specifically though, idk.
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What part of imperialism you don't get? It doesn't matter who's the one not letting you plunder another country, they are the enemy.
Whenever local capitalists want to take a part of the plunder, they become the enemy, see: soc-dem governments in latin america.
But plundering often takes a middleman/proxy. We call them the comprador bourgeoise and they always get their cut too. But the ruling class of Russia is not willing to play the part for now huh? It seems to me like war is bad for business. Either way the Russian people continue to suffer whether it's under imperial sanctions or the domination of the domestic bourgeoise.
Currently both,
Russia have actually spent the last few years hardening their economy against sanctions
deleted by creator
Thank you for the additional background, I appreciate the effort. I found it very helpful :parenti-hands:
This is something I've been wondering about. Russia is what the west made, so what's the problem? In broad strokes, my recent theory is that the Russian masses are unreliable, regardless of their government, and at any point could withold vast amounts of labor and natural resources. So, it's important to continually encircle and weaken them. Is the conflict in Ukraine not largely about threatening Russian access to it's only warm water ports?