The State, Empire and Imperialism

Abstract

This article aims to develop a Marxist account to explain the more informal practices of imperialism today. In this respect the article agrees with those Marxists who argue that capitalists and politicians have sought to impose the hegemonic economic project of financial neoliberalism across the globe. However, unlike some Marxist accounts which tend to explore imperialism primarily through socioeconomic relations, this article argues that financial neoliberal hegemony is achieved through social, political and ideological mechanisms as well. This is to see and understand capitalism as a complex, interconnected whole in which the way that capital accrues profits is through the exploitation, governance and regulation of living labour, which itself requires social, political and ideological mechanisms in place to do so. The article argues that in contemporary imperialism these 'non-economic' forms of regulation have often been embedded in seemingly non-imperialist and more informal types of governance that some have identified as 'Empire'. The article suggests that these governance mechanisms have extended imperialist financial domination of the US state through the political projects of neoliberalism and workfarism.

Neoliberalising Cambodia: The Production of Capacity in Southeast Asia

“…Overall, the process is emblematic of the neoliberal project of rebuilding the state as an entity that is transaction cost-focused, efficiency-minded, de-politicised with the aim of 'rolling out' and embedding 'market institutionalising processes' (Carroll, 2012a, pp. 354-355; see also Roberts, 2010). Yet, as has been argued, the development of a Cambodian market society that is watched over by the 'regulatory state' is far from complete and, at best, reference could be made to a proto-regulatory state.…”

Open Marxism, social class, and social and political movements

“…Perhaps unsurprisingly considering their narrative, Thompson and Pitts (2020) give virtually no space to discussing critical examinations of past ‘liberal humanitarian’ conjunctural interventions across the globe by Western powers in the name of fostering ‘human rights’, nor do they analyse the changing global conjuncture of imperialism and Empire, or dissect the numerous debates among the left of these terms (for alternative and more detailed Marxist accounts of imperialism and Empire, see Kiely 2010; Panitch & Gindin 2013; Roberts 2010). By arguing that the dominant powers in the West can and indeed should nevertheless construct a new liberal human rights agenda, we believe that as is the case in the recent past this will merely reproduce a Eurocentric global policy regime albeit in a new form.…”

Soft power and corporate imperialism: maintaining British influence

“…50 This leads to the promotion of a form of 'soft' neoliberalism whereby ideological objectives are dissimulated behind humanitarian rhetoric. 51 …”