People correctly attack imperialist countries for plundering the global south, setting up comprador regimes, bombing and destroying anyone that tries to go against that. Russia doesn’t do that, though. Russia is sticking to the areas in Ukraine that seceded and voted to join Russia, the Donbass region, after a decade of Kiev murdering ethnic Russians in said region. Russia isn’t plundering the global south because it can’t, and isn’t in a position to do so.
Now Russian imperialism doesn’t count as imperialism because most of Russia’s hostility and imperialism is happening too close to their borders. Amazing.
I posted two very common definitions above and it’s imperialism because it fits the definition. It shouldn’t matter if you support it, it’s not a reason to not consider it imperialism.
Russia is invading countries, annexing land, creating buffer zones. That’s like run of the mill imperialism.
There’s no colonization going on. You’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use with the actual process of imperialism. Imperialist and non-imperialist countries annex territory, that doesn’t mean all annexation is imperialism.
Even if we use this liberal, vibes-based definition, Russia isn’t imperialist. Russia is responding to the requests of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics for support, and they voted to join Russia. Russia isn’t establishing hegemony, nor an Empire. You’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use to maintain imperialism with imperialism itself, which is a form of international plunder.
If the US responded to the “requests” of separatists for support, and then those separatists voted to join the US, the imperialism would be pretty obvious. How do you explain to liberals that there is a difference?
The US is the world’s Empire and does super-exploit the global south for profits, ergo we need to understand the manner with which it props up seperatist groups are to service thode ends. Russia does not have the same economic forces at play. This is before you look into the origins of these movements and their history over time.
Attacking a country, annexing parts of them, creating a buffer zone out of country and trying to be the predominant country in the area is definitely not extending power, expansionism and trying to be regional hegemon
The struggle to just not call duck a duck reminds me of this meme
It’s especially strange since you seem to be fine with all of the very imperialistic actions Russia are doing, you just don’t like it being called imperialism.
Again, you’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use to perpetuate international plunder, ie imperialism, with imperialism itself. Annexation can be done by imperialist countries in order to set up or protect their systems of international exploitation, or it can be done in non-imperialist fashions, such as when seperatists that are being ethnically cleansed by Kiev request to join Russia, and Russia obliges.
Countries do not simply “exert power” for the sake of it, but as a means to an end. Russia’s acceptance of the requests for support from Donetsk and Luhansk against the far-right regime ethnically cleansing them is different from the US Empire engaging in brutal sanctions on Cuba for nationalizing industries owned by Statesian capitalists. The latter is an example of the methods used by imperialists to protect their plunder, as the Cuban revolutionaries kicked out the Statesian colonizers.
People correctly attack imperialist countries for plundering the global south, setting up comprador regimes, bombing and destroying anyone that tries to go against that. Russia doesn’t do that, though. Russia is sticking to the areas in Ukraine that seceded and voted to join Russia, the Donbass region, after a decade of Kiev murdering ethnic Russians in said region. Russia isn’t plundering the global south because it can’t, and isn’t in a position to do so.
Now Russian imperialism doesn’t count as imperialism because most of Russia’s hostility and imperialism is happening too close to their borders. Amazing.
You haven’t once explained how it’s imperialism, though. Annexation isn’t imperialism.
I posted two very common definitions above and it’s imperialism because it fits the definition. It shouldn’t matter if you support it, it’s not a reason to not consider it imperialism.
Russia is invading countries, annexing land, creating buffer zones. That’s like run of the mill imperialism.
There’s no colonization going on. You’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use with the actual process of imperialism. Imperialist and non-imperialist countries annex territory, that doesn’t mean all annexation is imperialism.
Even if we use this liberal, vibes-based definition, Russia isn’t imperialist. Russia is responding to the requests of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics for support, and they voted to join Russia. Russia isn’t establishing hegemony, nor an Empire. You’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use to maintain imperialism with imperialism itself, which is a form of international plunder.
You’re not vibing hard enough.
If the US responded to the “requests” of separatists for support, and then those separatists voted to join the US, the imperialism would be pretty obvious. How do you explain to liberals that there is a difference?
The US is the world’s Empire and does super-exploit the global south for profits, ergo we need to understand the manner with which it props up seperatist groups are to service thode ends. Russia does not have the same economic forces at play. This is before you look into the origins of these movements and their history over time.
Attacking a country, annexing parts of them, creating a buffer zone out of country and trying to be the predominant country in the area is definitely not extending power, expansionism and trying to be regional hegemon
Again, you’re confusing the measures imperialist countries use to perpetuate international plunder, ie imperialism, with imperialism itself. Annexation can be done by imperialist countries in order to set up or protect their systems of international exploitation, or it can be done in non-imperialist fashions, such as when seperatists that are being ethnically cleansed by Kiev request to join Russia, and Russia obliges.
Countries do not simply “exert power” for the sake of it, but as a means to an end. Russia’s acceptance of the requests for support from Donetsk and Luhansk against the far-right regime ethnically cleansing them is different from the US Empire engaging in brutal sanctions on Cuba for nationalizing industries owned by Statesian capitalists. The latter is an example of the methods used by imperialists to protect their plunder, as the Cuban revolutionaries kicked out the Statesian colonizers.