The essence of any imperialism of human civilization is to expand its influence. In every sense. But imperialism has always taken different forms depending on the social formation. If feudalism’s imperialism pursued expansion of its territories by appealing to “religious wars”, capitalism’s imperialist is looking for entirely other justifications for its imperial ambitions. The expansion of capital is the goal of capitalist social formation, but even this process must be dressed up in some ideational form. So what is this idea? “Religious wars” are not entirely convincing in a bourgeois society. In place of feudal ideology it appropriates slogans such as defence of the homeland, patriotism among the masses and, not surprisingly, protection of “democratic values”.
World War I demonstrated very well how capital in various industrial countries tried to reach beyond its national limits. The German Empire (1871-1918) was a striking example of this. World carnage which was carried on by the leading countries of the world was characterized by great chauvinism. The culmination of chauvinistic ideas was Nazi Germany, leading to the Second World War. It is Fascism that become the ultimate ideological mask worn by capital in its imperialistic expansion into other nations.
“Fascism is the demagogic hypnotising of the masses” – said one revolutionary who (for his beliefs) was expelled by the global power of reaction to Mexico. And so it is. Fascism is nothing other than a massive wave of reaction embracing all creeds and classes in society at the vanguard of which stands the ruling class. It spends no small measure of power and means of agitation, propaganda, material incentives to “zombify” the masses. The ultimate goal of this “zombifying” is a nationalist campaign against other nations, expanding its capital, because it seems otherwise impossible to solve global capitalist contradictions. To be succinct and precise: fascism sees its mission the creation of slaves whose minds are stuffed with chauvinistic shit. Thinking critically by the victims of fascism is strictly forbidden.
The Russian Federation of 2022 was no exception to this rule… On the night of 24 February 2022, the Kremlin began its air raid on Ukraine. Russian aggressors, led by Putin, appear hell bent on repeating Hitler’s feats. Justifications for their “war act” was characterised by the Kremlin as “denazification of Ukraine” and explained due to Ukraine being “Russian land”. There is no need to counter this nonsense, because this nonsense is laughed at, merrily and at the same time tragically, by history itself. But what sounds even more ironic is the desire to destroy Ukrainian fascists, who of course have not been found. And they couldn’t be found… Fascism, predominantly (!) is a nasty privilege of imperialistic ambitions. But the Russians, unknowingly, found fascism in themselves.
Many Ukrainian cities know for themselves what is an air siren that howls piercingly at night, announcing the approaching arrival of a deadly rocket from the Russian side. A number of cities no longer exist, as is the case with people. And the terrible chronicle of the city of Buchi simply reveal the whole essence of the fascist abomination that the Russian soldier embodies. Many with a disgusted surprise note how the Kremlin’s fascist soldiers subject people to humiliation and lust. At the same time, Russian citizens at home have embraced the occult, while the bureaucratic power of Moscow “tightens the screws” of the totalitarian regime. But there is no mystery here, because fascism would not have had the 9/10 popular support if it had not developed and encouraged the selfish, egoistic inclinations of chauvinistic narrow-mindedness. Cattle is a good servant of the master of fascist ideology, of deadened consciousness.
The reasons for Russia’s fascism are clear. In addition to primordial chauvinistic “Great Russianness”, the Russian Federation has considerable amounts of national capital, the country is expanding it within its reach. At the same time, the Kremlin’s capital does not occupy a strong enough position in the international division of labour and productive forces, it cannot be economically competitive with either the countries of the West (US, EU) or the East (China). To overcome this contradiction and to “show” its power, the Russian bureaucracy begins its military expansion to the regions it considers its strategic imperialist property. All of Russia’s neighbours know this. But to formalise this economic interest into some political slogan-filled folder, fascism is needed. And the Kremlin got it.
The Russian Federation and its leader – Putin, found themselves in the role of fascist aggressors, which would have seemed outlandish in the XXI century. World imperialism will not tolerate Putin’s outcry, Ukraine will not tolerate attempts to undermine its national independence and will fight this as much as it can, and fascism, in turn, will not tolerate a hungry and humiliated, fooled citizen of Russia. The regime is digging its own grave. Its ambitions are too great, its expectations of itself, but the actual capability to meet those ambitions desires.
This Russian war with Ukraine is demonstrating classic capitalist imperialism, where capital and the productive forces seek to reach a new level, overcome national frames because these constrain them. Inter-imperialist wars will not solve the problem of the capitalist formation but will only intensify. It takes another force to solve these problems – international, solidarity and independent of the dictatorship of the capital, which sometimes likes to wear crazy and ugly clothes of fascism!
Glory to Ukraine! Rosmordor, follow the Russian ship!
Source > Ukraine Solidarity Campaign
The Anti*Capitalist Resistance Editorial Board may not always agree with all of the content we repost but feel it is important to give left voices a platform and develop a space for comradely debate and disagreement.
While the article above focuses on Russian fascism it is important to note that there are far-right actors in Ukraine as well.
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