What drives imperialism, from Iran to the Philippines
From a talk given by Sako Sefiani, an Iranian
member of Workers World Party, at the Nov. 13-14 National
Fightback Conference.
People everywhere are awed and shocked at the shamelessness
and brazenness of the U.S. ruling class as it razes Iraqi
hospitals to the ground, slaughters thousands of civilians,
drops one- or even two-ton bombs on population centers--and
shamelessly brags about it all.
Some believe that imperialism is a misguided and aggressive
policy, that we can have capitalism without imperialism and
without wars. What they fail to understand is that imperialism
is inseparable from capitalism. In fact, imperialism is
capitalism in a certain stage of its development.
Concentrated capital needs to be invested for even more
profit. When the capitalists cannot find it domestically, they
cross the borders into other countries. Making profits at any
cost is unmistakably the single unshakable obsession of
capitalism. One can trace all actions and reactions of
capitalism in general and imperialism in this particular epoch
to the unrelenting preoccupation with that obsession.
However, people do not like to give up their freedom and
resources without a fight. Imperialism has a simple solution
for that: war.
Thus, war stems not from the policies of bellicose and
war-mongering politicians, but from the very nature of
capitalism.
This is why the U.S. has gone to war under both Republicans
and Democrats. To expect otherwise is like expecting the
scorpion not to bite the frog. War is not something they want
to do--it is something they must do to continue to make
profits.
Making profits is what it is all about; war is just a tool.
If, in pursuit of profits, they can subdue a nation without
war, they do it.
By the time U.S. imperialism passed its imperialist rivals
in military and economic strength at the end of World War II,
years of colonial domination, oppression, looting of natural
resources and devastating wars by imperialist states had
engendered anti-colonial and nationalistic sentiments
throughout the developing world. The Middle East was basically
divided between Britain and France.
Prior to 1953, a British company was taking Iranian oil
practically for free--they paid more taxes for it to the
British government than they paid to Iran for taking it. A
nationalist and popular prime minister in Iran, Dr. Mossadegh,
nationalized oil in defiance of British threats and pressures.
Consequently, the U.S. did its first regime change, installing
the hated shah, who with the help of Washington ruled with a
brutal dictatorship for the next 25 years.
Imperialism needs a corrupt client state that will sell out
its people, and oppressive conditions to keep workers in check
and wages low. In the name of freedom and democracy, the U.S.
has done more to undermine freedom and democracy than any other
country.
The shah suppressed and silenced any voice of freedom,
democracy and justice in Iran for the benefit of U.S.
multinational corporations. Together with the Zionist state of
Israel, he acted as the U.S. police against national liberation
movements in the region--which Israel continues to do to this
day.
The creation of the Zionist state in the Middle East was the
best thing that ever happened for U.S. imperialism. Through
Israel, it has been able to keep Arab nations in check and put
down numerous democratic and anti-imperialist movements.
Considering what Israel does for U.S. imperialism, the billions
of dollars Washington gives it are quite cheap.
Needless to say, losing the shah in the 1979 Iranian
revolution was a major setback for imperialism. Which explains
why the U.S. government has continued to undermine the
revolution. It imposed sanctions on Iran right after the
revolution simply because the Iranian people had the audacity
to fight for and win their freedom. Now it has decided that is
not enough. It wants to weaken Iran. All the talk of nuclear
weapons is just an excuse for accomplishing that goal.
When the U.S. attacked and occupied the Philippines in 1898,
the Filipino people were dumbfounded to see so much anger and
hatred in American troops. What they did not understand was
their deeply rooted racism. We see that not only in the U.S.
cities, but wherever they occupy. You cannot shoot and kill an
unarmed, wounded person without it. You cannot humiliate
people, like they did in Abu Ghraib, without it. Back on the
streets of America, you cannot empty 42 bullets into someone
without it. It is fitting that Washington's "closest ally" is a
racist apart heid regime that considers Palestinians
sub-human.
Like war, racism is perpetuated by capitalism and will end
with the death of capitalism.
But an imperialist war of conquest affects the working
people of the imperialist country, as well, making cannon
fodder of them and their children and making them pay for the
cannons, too. Workers and their children are sent to foreign
lands to fight their class brothers and sisters so the
capitalists can get wealthier while they get poorer. Herein
lies the logic and historical necessity for workers and
oppressed peoples of the world to unite to fight the common
enemy.
War is nothing new to U.S. imperialism. Why suddenly all
this hysterical chest pounding and lashing out like there is no
tomorrow? Because the imperialists feel like there actually is
no tomorrow.
Imperialism is not in its early stages when it could easily
enslave millions of people and steal their resources.
Imperialism has to find new sources of profit, but it is
literally running out of places to invade and peoples to
enslave. Right about now, imperialism must be wishing there
would be life in other planets.
Long live the solidarity among workers and oppressed peoples
of the world, now needed more urgently than ever.
Reprinted from the Dec. 2, 2004, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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