Capitalism, State Collectivism, and Socialism

In: Monthly review: an independent socialist magazine, Band 29, Heft 2, S. 25-41

Abstract

Imperialism represents a new strategy for the reproduction of capitalism, under conditions of domination by monopoly capital. It is largely a defensive reaction to proletarian gains in power. It has produced conditions of exploitation in the Third World, which are objectively favorable to socialism. The local bourgeoisies in the Third World were antiimperialist initially, but now, having gained a place in the international division of labor, have become proimperialist. Imperialism in the twentieth century has gone through a series of crises, leaving the Third World countries with problems which cannot be solved within the framework of world capitalism. Economistic readings of Marxism misinterpret this situation, seeing socialism simply as state collectivism, when in fact the two are incompatible; state collectivism is the natural heir of capitalism. W. H. Stoddard.