First, there's no "fair share" with taxes, capitalism is built on unpaid labor as capital valorization. However, again, as a country, Slovenia benefits from Imperialism. The robust healthcare system and other social safety nets are largely paid for via the profits of imperialism. IKEA benefits from imperialism more than the carpenter, but also passes along its profits in higher wages and cheaper commodities. The reason IKEA and Slovenia does this is to depress revolutionary pressure and maintain profits. Thus, there is a labor aristocracy in the global north, and a super-exploited proletariat in the global south.

[–] edel@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I have to disagree here. The carpenter would ultimately had a similar quality of life with empire or without... Life in the west would be very different for sure, but i would not qualify it as worse. Consumerism would be replaced by a far more sustainable lifestyle and we would have replaced our incentives based on GDP long ago, but does not mean less quality of life, just a more just one.

[–] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 weeks ago

I don't think imperialism is a good thing, but it is how empire maintains itself. A more sustainable, equitable, socialist world is possible, capitalism is what perpetuates imperialism.