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vivizinha's review against another edition
5.0
I feel like you need to have en econ degree to understand all nuances of this essay. In short, Lenin lays the groundwork with an amazing economic and historical background to talk about imperialism. Also, Lenin's writing is filled with irony.
The main thesis of this book is that imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism - the stage of finance capital (possible through the banks). There is, therefore, the transformation of competition into monopoly (and the formation of cartels) in which the sources of raw materials are captured by one group. Lenin defines monopolists as "Scattered capitalists are transformed into a single collective capitalist".
There is a need to export capital and it "arises from the fact that in a few countries capitalism has become "overripe" (owning to the backward state of agriculture and poverty of the masses) capital cannot find a field for "profitable" investment.
"The struggles for sphres of influences" e.g. the "partition" or "repartition" of the world among the great imperialistic powers.
"The more capitalism is developed, the more strongly the shortage of raw materials is felt". Ecocriticism through Marxist lens!
In the political sense, imperialism is "in general, a striving towards violence and reaction" and it strives to annex not only agrarian territories but also highly industrialised regions.
Imperialism, the stage of finance capital "engenders a tendency of stagnation and decay". It's a parasitic stage of capitalism.
"Imperialism is an immense accumulation of money capital in a few countries".
Lastly, this quote from chapter IX "Critique of Imperialism" sums up marveously what imperialism is:
"Imperialism is the epoch of finance capital and of monopolies, which introduce everywehre the striving for domination, not for freedom. Whatever the political system, the result of these tendencies is everywhere reaction and an extreme intensification of antagonisms in this field. Particularly the intensified become the yoke of national oppresion and the striving for annexations, i.e., the violation of national independence (for annexation is nothing but the violation of the right of nations to self-determination)".
The main thesis of this book is that imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism - the stage of finance capital (possible through the banks). There is, therefore, the transformation of competition into monopoly (and the formation of cartels) in which the sources of raw materials are captured by one group. Lenin defines monopolists as "Scattered capitalists are transformed into a single collective capitalist".
There is a need to export capital and it "arises from the fact that in a few countries capitalism has become "overripe" (owning to the backward state of agriculture and poverty of the masses) capital cannot find a field for "profitable" investment.
"The struggles for sphres of influences" e.g. the "partition" or "repartition" of the world among the great imperialistic powers.
"The more capitalism is developed, the more strongly the shortage of raw materials is felt". Ecocriticism through Marxist lens!
In the political sense, imperialism is "in general, a striving towards violence and reaction" and it strives to annex not only agrarian territories but also highly industrialised regions.
Imperialism, the stage of finance capital "engenders a tendency of stagnation and decay". It's a parasitic stage of capitalism.
"Imperialism is an immense accumulation of money capital in a few countries".
Lastly, this quote from chapter IX "Critique of Imperialism" sums up marveously what imperialism is:
"Imperialism is the epoch of finance capital and of monopolies, which introduce everywehre the striving for domination, not for freedom. Whatever the political system, the result of these tendencies is everywhere reaction and an extreme intensification of antagonisms in this field. Particularly the intensified become the yoke of national oppresion and the striving for annexations, i.e., the violation of national independence (for annexation is nothing but the violation of the right of nations to self-determination)".
sad_arisu's review against another edition
5.0
The main conclusions of this book, written more than 100 years ago, can still be applied today.
fantasma13's review against another edition
5.0
dos melhores livros sobre história e política economica que li. de uma atualidade assustadora