I agree with Sam Gindin that the US is "hegemonic" amongst the Western imperialist powers, and is currently playing the "leading role within the global order". But I disagree with his view that this means it is wrong for us to recognise the existence of inter-imperialist rivalry. I also disagree with his views on Ukraine. Any new challenger to a dominant power starts from behind. The attempt to catch up leads to inter-imperialist rivalry. Russia is the main rival of the US militarily. China is becoming a rival economically. Gindin downplays US rivalry with Russia and China. He says: "Russia clearly wants to be treated as an important regional power. That Russia looked to the Minsk accords to peacefully settle the conflict between Kyiv and the Russian-speaking minority, waited eight years to act on the continuous assaults on eastern Ukraine, and reluctantly invaded to preserve its port and naval base in Crimea and block the completion of its encirclement by NATO all speak to Russia’s appreciation of its limited capacities. Russia did not go into Ukraine for economic gain or to “take over” Ukraine. as its peace offer in early 2022 made clear. "Notably, Russia’s GDP, even adjusted for Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), is less than that of either Japan or Germany, and about one-fifth of the United States. Militarily, Russia has boosted its military expenditures greatly since its invasion of Ukraine, but estimates for 2024 still show that the United States spends about six times as much on defence as Russia, and the rest of NATO spends an additional three times as much. It is hysterically mindless to portray Ukraine as the first step in Russia moving on to the Balkans, and even more outlandish to suggest Russia aims to invade Germany." Russia is more than just a "regional power". It intervenes militarily far from its borders. It sent its air force to Syria to bomb rebels fighting against the Assad regime. The Wagner private military company has intervened in wars in various African countries with the approval of the Russian government. Figures on the relative military spending of the US and Russia do not necessarily reflect the real ability of these countries to wage war. The US military industrial complex is very wasteful, inefficient and corrupt. It is an exaggeration to say that Russia is being "encircled" by NATO. Russia has long borders with China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, which are not NATO members. No doubt the expansion of NATO worries Putin, but it does not justify his supposedly "reluctant" invasion of Ukraine. Using a similar logic, we could say that, with the Russian takeover of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine was partially "enclrcled" by Russia, which would supposedly justify all Ukraine's actions in Donbas. China has up to now been less inclined than Russia to intervene militarily in foreign countries. However it is increasingly reliant on imported raw materials to feed its growing industry. This may at some stage lead it into military intervention to safeguard its access to these resources. Chris Slee
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#31156): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/31156 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/107222108/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
