this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2025
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Asklemmy

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[โ€“] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 67 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Failing to have a coherent understanding of how imperialism works. A lot of westerners seem to think they live in developed countries developed purely by their own industry, while not realizing how financial capital continues to plunder the global south.

[โ€“] umbrella@lemmy.ml 26 points 5 days ago (1 children)

sometimes not acknowledging it even exists.

[โ€“] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 19 points 5 days ago

Definitely true as well.

[โ€“] Aralakh@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Any resource you could recommend for someone who wants a better understanding of this?

[โ€“] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Yes, actually! I wrote an introductory Marxist-Leninist reading list, you can skip straight to the "imperialism" section. It'll be a bit difficult to jump straight there without the other sections, but it won't be impossible. If you only read one, it should be Lenin's Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism | Audiobook, which is by far the most clear and important work on the subject. The only problem is that imperialism has developed quite a lot since Lenin wrote it, and the US Empire is now unquestionably the top dog. For more on that, I recommend Michael Hudson's Super-Imperialism: The Origin and Fundamentals of U.S. World Dominance.

If you only want a quick overview, though, Prolewiki's article on imperialism is really good by itself.

[โ€“] Aralakh@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Thank you for the quality resource! I realized I already had this saved but haven't gotten to that section yet o7.

[โ€“] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

No problem! It's a fair bit into the list because imperialism is both the number 1 most important contradiction in the world today, and quite an advanced topic when first delving into Marxism. If you already have the list saved, and have the time and willingness, I suggest following it the standard way - it's much easier to understand when you have the background info!

[โ€“] Aralakh@lemmy.ca 3 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I knew I had you tagged as Marxist - Leninist Bro for a reason ;P, properly appreciate the effort you've put into it. Yes, following the list as outlined is my intent - excited to delve into the imperialist section now, it's something I've not put much intention towards learning beforehand, as such it's awesome you've put together something so comprehensive.

[โ€“] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 3 points 3 days ago

Appreciate the kind words, thanks!