Stuff like this gives me hope looking forward. Sure, USA is now mask-off facism, but the rest of the world is leaving it behind. Our job in the imperial core is to simply ensure that the decay takes down as few as possible with it.
That’s what I’m most optimistic about as well. Things re gonna get shitty in the west, but it seems like the rest of the world will follow China towards socialism. I’d argue we’re living through the reverse of the collapse of USSR. This time around it’s the capitalist bloc that’s in crisis, while the socialist countries are going from strength to strength.
I realize it’s not as clearly cut this time around and there are plenty of capitalist nations in BRICS bloc. However, my hope is that as the liberal capitalist model becomes discredited, more countries will start to emulate what China is doing. And of course, things are finally looking up for DPRK, Cuba, and Vietnam.
I would feel so much better if Russia was still the USSR again and not a reactionary hell hole. Capitalists always fight for capitalism, and they will do that and try to become the new hegemony once they got the US out of the picture. It would benefit their oligarchs, just like it benefits the US’s oligarchs right now, to keep their allies capitalist and not socialist.
Luckily at present, it benefits them to fight imperialism with the rest of the global south, and I know it’s a bit far along to worry about, since we don’t even know how BRICS will get through this period of the US and a lot can happen, I’m just worried about Russian (and Indian, if they keep electing similar people,) influence on the global south after the US has fallen. It sucks having all our chips on China, would be nice if there was an alternative.
I agree, it’s a huge tragedy that USSR didn’t last just a few more decades. If only the party did what was necessary and put Gorbachev against the wall.
At least Russia and India have communist parties. There’s plenty to be optimistic about
I still find myself surprised that Jeff Sachs, an architect of shock therapy, has come to some of these conclusions and writes op eds for common dreams lol
I think he claims to have been overruled on USSR restructuring and was radicalized by the process, but I’m a little fuzzy on that. He does have pretty good takes lately though.
IIRC he wanted to post soviet countries to go FURTHER in shock therapy. At least he seemed to think so a few years ago.
Yeah you’re probably right. The wiki makes it sound like the policies were intended to try and shortcut negative outcomes, but didn’t necessarily work out. I can’t find it but I remember a piece with him on DemocracyNow where he explained something to the effect that during this process post-USSR the whole thing was hijacked by western political goals and designed to enthrall Russia and his proposal was essentially torn apart/twisted.
In any case, I’ve found his commentary frequently interesting or useful. He tends to come down pretty hard on American hegemony/adventurism. Lots of similar positions to John Mearsheimer from what I‘ve watched.
That’s who this is?!? I kept trying to remember why this name kept ringing a bell
Critical support to Donald Trump and his destruction of the American empire.
I even remember a few political cartoons back in 2017 about The US deciding it doesn’t want to be the new leader of the free world and should be the new one. It should have been the first sign to me that a lot of libs are comfortable civic fascists.
Good article, this is a tangential question that i thought while reading it - is there a fundamental difference even worth noting these days between neoliberal and neocon?
Neocon is a subcategory of neoliberal. Neoliberal is a big, overarching political ideology that encompasses Republicans, Democrats, and others. Neocon is a specific movement or trend within the “conservative” wing of neoliberalism.
Right I know that much but my point is whether there’s actually a meaningful difference between any of them anymore.
Oh, I misunderstood your question, my bad. I read your wording as suggesting they were separate categories.
To answer your question, I think there’s still a paleocon/neocon rift, so there’s at least that much to distinguish elements of contemporary neoliberalism, but I think I agree with your implied thesis that the “left” wing of neoliberalism has withered to the point that it’s at least quite difficult to distinguish it as having values distinct from one of the further right wing, it just talks about them differently.
I’ve heard self-described neo-liberals praise neocons by saying “neocons fight wars to make the world safe for neoliberalism”. The difference between the 2 does not exist and even the neolibs/neocons don’t think it meaningfully exists. As best, they could be said to have different immediate priorities.
Neolibs still want to preserve the “rules based order” in a more literal sense. Neocons want the American Empire and are not afraid to admit it. Neolibs also want it, but tend to believe this is achievable or even already achieved through the liberal world institutions and “globalization”(Marxist imperialism). Wars are not inherently good, despite being profitable, it must not be the first solution and/or it must be justified through these liberal institutions.
So in comparison, neolibs actualy believed in end of history, there are no more true enemies and everyone will eventualy accept the market or bend to economic interests e.g what they believed about China.
Neocons believe that is not enough or not yet and America must continue to fight their strategic enemies. They always saw China and Russia as key strategic enemies where the only solution is domination, they’re very open about continuing with the Cold war mentality despite Russia’s defeat.
When looking at a Trump government I think he wont be able to just impose his neocon idiot wishes without some pushback.
For example the current US military buildup against China is definitely a neocon initiative. Neolibs go along with it because they dare not confront the MIC but they also believe they can dominate China economicaly see CHIPS act, Yellen/Blinken going to China to threaten them with economic consequences and tell them they’re wrong. They believe they can outcompete China but first China must play “fair” i.e become a western style economy based on consumption.
Neocons instead want war and real containment no matter the cost. So Trump will have to deal with a lot of western CEOs and investors that understand a significant part of their profits come from China. Neolibs want to contain China but don’t necessarily agree with a full war, even more so US illegitimate aggression. Its why Taiwan is the “key”, its the bait.
To give a better example, Musk loves Trump but he will also go to China and praise China. Why?
His second trip to the country in less than a year included a meeting Sunday with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who praised Tesla as a “successful model” for US-China collaboration.
Because he understands China was one of his biggest market. Neolibs don’t want to face the real consequences of a global war and global crisis. Money talks.
For neocons it doesn’t matter as much as building the American Empire, an eye for an eye as long as the US wins in Asia it will be worth it, they fear to be missing the opportunity.
I really hope so but I’m a little pessimist. China keeps letting the US encircle them and screw them out of deals while doing nothing about it.
It seems like Russia and eventually India (with Brazil as a wild card) will be the faces of anti-imperialistic actions. But all these countries have a neoliberal problem, even China. I guess we can only wait and see if they actually make a turn left
China is doing plenty about it by building out a navy that can counter the US, and to which every war game US themselves played they lost. They’re also building alliances all across the Global South, and moving away from using the western financial system.
China is playing it smart here because they realize that time is on their side. The US is already stuck in two wars, and their resources aren’t infinite. Meanwhile, US economic power continues to wane globally and its relevance along with it.
Meanwhile, US economic power continues to wane globally
And US munitions with no quick way to ramp up production capacity.
