Imperialism A Much Bandied But Little Understood Word Of The Leftists
By R.M.B Senanayake -January 4, 2015
R.M.B. Senanayake
I watched the Leftists Forum on TV in relation to the presidential election. The speakers kept referring to imperialism as the threat to the country. What is imperialism and to whom does it constitute a threat? Imperialism as explained in Marxist theory ended with the collapse of the Soviet Empire after 1989 when Soviet Central Asia broke up into several republics which include: Kazakhstan (pop. 16 million), Kyrgyzstan (3.8 million), Tajikistan (6.0 million), Turkmenistan (4.2 million), and Uzbekistan (28.2 million), for a total population of 57.1 million as of 2013-2014. They are all independent of Russia. Was there any difference between the Russian imperialism and the imperialism of Britain and France? Was it also exploitation and plunder? How does Marxist theory explain the Soviet Imperialism?
Imperialism as the last stage of Capitalism
The use of the term “imperialism” as the last stage of Capitalism is due to Lenin who wrote the work “Imperialism –the last stage of Capitalism.”The economic imperialism implied in Marxism refers to a dependent relationship- not the inequality in economic relations between the states which are rich and poor or large and small in trading patterns but the dependence of the latter on the former involving the control of the states of the latter on the state power of the former. It involved a political dependence in addition to the economic subordination. Marxists ascribe the domination of the colonies by the Capitalist States as imperialism. They say such imperialism was an essential feature of capitalist development without which capitalism could not have developed. Even if one concedes this to be partly true for British and French Capitalism it is not true for countries like Germany or the USA or even Japan although these countries also aspired to become colonial powers themselves for the sake of national pride and power.Read More
A Government Sinking Under The Weight Of Incompetence
By A. Ilango -January 4, 2015
The Opposition’s election rally held in Nallur on 30th December was attended by a large crowd that came spontaneously. By contrast Rajapaksa’s rally held on the Jaffna esplanade on 2nd January involved a huge effort and bribery, using the government machinery in Jaffna and all those given jobs in government and public institutions over several years on political quotas. Being on call by their political bosses for occasions like this is more important than their duties in assigned places of work. The result has been a steep rise in lack of initiative, incompetence and indifference.
Douglas and Rajapaksa
Rats in the sinking ship?
On 2nd January a forum styled Momentum was organised by the Government at Tilko City Hotel facing the esplanade for which academics and professionals were invited and asked to be seated by 9.00 AM. Apart from the President and his secretary, the main speaker was Prof. Balasundarampillai, a former VC of Jaffna University and member of the Council. Speakers claimed credit for the student from Jaffna who topped the A. Levels in Mathematics, for getting that there had been outstanding performances when students had to study by the light of kerosene lamps during the 1990s. One speaker promised to make Jaffna the educational hub of Sri Lanka – though how it could be do
