Imperialism globalization and the battle of Iraq

Imperialism, globalization and the battle of Iraq

Introduction Place of report in the session o Reporter: o n n n o a US Jewish gay anti-imperialist … in Holland Reporter’s limits: n non-economist

Overview of report I. Imperialism: Lenin’s classic theory II. Neoliberal globalization III. Armed globalization and the ‘war on terror’ IV. The war in Iraq

I. Imperialism: Lenin’s theory The Marxist understanding of imperialism before Lenin n n n Marx and Engels: Ireland, Poland, Algeria and India German social democracy: ‘not a man, not a penny’ Cracks in the consensus: the Moroccan crisis (1911) An outdated vision of capitalism: revisionism and Hilferding’s Finance Capital Luxemburg’s The Accumulation of Capital The shock of 1914

Basics of Lenin’s theory (from a non-economist!) Laissez-faire capitalism and monopoly capitalism Uneven development and export of capital Competition for raw materials The division of the planet: colonial empires Spheres of influence and semi-colonies

Colonial empires 1914

(Official) division of the world PERCENTAGE OF TERRITORY BELONGING TO THE EUROPEAN COLONIAL POWERS (including the United States) 1876 1900 Increase or decrease Africa. . 10. 8 90. 4 +79. 6 Polynesia. . 56. 8 98. 9 +42. 1 Asia. . . 51. 5 56. 6 +5. 1 Australia. . . 100. 0 — America. . . 27. 5 27. 2 -0. 3

(Unofficial) control of the world DISTRIBUTION (APPROXIMATE) OF FOREIGN CAPITAL IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE GLOBE (circa 1910) Britain France Germany Total (in billions of German marks) Europe. . 4 23 18 45 America. . 37 4 10 51 Asia, Africa, and Australia. . . 29 8 7 44 Total. . . . 70 35 35 140

Imperialism, 1916 -1982 1914 -20 Re-division: German and Ottoman possessions become British, French, Italian, Japanese and US 1936 -45 Failed German challenge to re-division; Italy and Japan lose their colonial possessions 1947/1956 Truman Doctrine and Suez crisis mark replacement of British by US hegemony 1949 Chinese revolution 1955 Bandung: India, Indonesia, Egypt etc. gain autonomy 1975 US defeat in Vietnam 1979/1980/1982 Thatcher elected; Reagan elected; debt crisis

II. Neoliberal globalization Is imperialism still a relevant framework to analyze the post-1979 world economy? Claudio Katz’s arguments: • Growth of inequality: dominant and dependent countries • Terms of trade • Extraction of financial resources • Transfer of industrial profits • Loss of political autonomy

Distribution of wealth (2005) % world pop. % world GDP per cap. Dominant countries 14% 78% $ 31, 000 Dependent countries 80% 19% $ 1, 410 (Figures from CADTM)

Debt: the poor fund the rich Marshall Plan aid to Europe, post-WW 2: $ Debt payments from dependent to dominant countries, 1980 -2004: $5300 billion Number of total Marshall Plans from poor to rich: 90 billion 59

Terms of trade and repatriation of profits Ratio of prices between dependent country exports and dependent country imports: 1980 100 2002 48 Net repatriation of profits from dependent countries by multinational corporations, 1998 -2002: $ 334 billion

Multinationals: monopoly finance capital Selected GNP of countries and revenues of multinational corporations Countries (IMF, 2006, $ billion) 1. US $ 13, 245 3. Germany 2, 897 4. China 2, 630 6. France 2, 232 13. India 887 16. Netherlands 663 21. Indonesia 364 29. South Africa 255 32. Iran 212 47. Philippines 117 48. Nigeria 115 Multinationals (Fortune, 2006, $ billion) 1. Exxon Mobil $ 339 2. Wal-Mart 316 3. Shell 307 4. BP 268 5. General Motors 193 6. Chevron 189 7. Daimler. Chrysler 186 8. Toyota 186 9. Ford 177 10. Conoco. Phillips 167

Loss of political autonomy IMF/World Bank/WTO: one dollar, one vote ‘Structural adjustment’ and ‘conditionality’ Consequences for social spending and debt repayment Consequences for negotiating positions Bancosur: sign of change?

III. Armed globalization and the ‘war on terror’ • Militarism: response to — and cause of — disintegration of peripheral states (Katz) • Role of US: * Enforcer of neoliberal world order * Sole superpower: 50%+ of global military spending * Military-industrial complex * Military supremacy & inter-imperialist rivalries * Oil: Latin America and the Middle East • Tools: ‘Coalitions of the willing’, NATO and UN

The post-1991 world order The first US invasion of Iraq (1991): a decisive moment (Achcar) US military return to Gulf region (after 1962 withdrawal) Demonstration of superior US military technology Network of bases and alliances

9/11: Bush’s opportunity The intervention in Afghanistan and the US presence in Central Asia

IV. The case of Iraq Introduction: imperialism and globalization in the Arab world

Glory of the Arab world

Ottomans

British and French

US imperialism 1933 US contract with Saudi king 1953 CIA coup in Iran 1956 Suez crisis 1962 US withdraws from Dhahran 1967 & 1973 US backs Israel 1979 Iran revolution; USSR invades Afghanistan 1989 USSR leaves Afghanistan 1991 First US invasion of Iraq 2001 9/11; US invasion of Afghanistan 2003 -? US invasion and occupation of Iraq

Lessons of Arab history Depth of Arab anti-imperialism Oil, imperialism and populism ‘The Arab despotic exception’

Iraq: the stakes Oil (a quarter of the world’s proven reserves) ‘A new Middle East’ US unilateralism: challenge to Russia, China … France, Germany The future of the peace movement

Iraq: geography

Iraq: some key dates 1918 -20 s British conquest, ‘Mandate’ and crushing of (largely Shiite) revolt 1958 Iraqi revolution 1963 First Ba’athist coup: decimation of Iraqi CP 1968 Second Ba’athist coup 1979 Saddam Hussein becomes president 1980 -88 War with Iran 1990 -91 Annexation of Kuwait; first US invasion 1991 -2003 UN embargo 2003 - Second US invasion, occupation and civil war

Iraq: 3 major issues in the struggle The role of Islamic fundamentalism The role of Shi’ism Armed and unarmed resistance

Islamic fundamentalism Islam and Arab identity The diversity of Islam in Iraq The diversity of Iraqi resistance Petty bourgeoisie and fundamentalism Fundamentalism: a deadly enemy ‘March separately, strike together’

Shi’ism A marginal, minority current within Islam The ‘Shiite crescent’ today Iran and the ‘axis of evil’ Ayatollah Sistani and the fight for elections Shiite fundamentalism, women and gays Diversity of Iraqi Shiite politics: SCIRI, Dawa and Muqtada al-Sadr Al-Sadr as US enemy no. 1 Shiite fundamentalism is still fundamentalism

Resistance and solidarity The legitimacy of resistance The balance of military forces Armed resistance and sectarian violence Unarmed resistance: the case of the Oil Workers Union Solidarity: a political battle Solidarity: concrete tasks