Marxist theory

Claudio Katz talks about the need to avoid looking at imperialism in purely economic terms, the rise of what he terms an “imperial system” and the complexities of anti-imperialism in the 21st century.

William I. Robinson discusses the rise of transnational class exploitation and how contradictions between a globally integrated economy and a nation-state-based system help explain rising US-China tensions.

Renfrey Clarke — Few questions of international politics have seen the Western left as sharply divided as the war in Ukraine. But there is no good reason why Marxists, with the writings of Vladimir Lenin at their disposal, should lack clarity on how to analyse the war.

Michael Roberts talks about the realities of imperialism today and how much — or, rather, how little — has changed since Vladimir Lenin wrote his book on the subject.

Esteban Mercatante discusses how recent global shifts in processes of capital accumulation have contributed to China’s rise, the new (and old) mechanisms big powers use to plunder the Global South, and its implications for anti-imperialist and working-class struggles today.

Michael A. Lebowitz — The law of value works in mysterious ways. For some Marxists, it underlies everything we need to know about capitalism. But, just as Marx claimed he was not a Marxist, so too might he have said, “that’s not my law of value.”

Promise Li discusses the complex realities of 21st century imperialism — where economic interdependence across geopolitical blocs in tension shapes inter-imperialist rivalry — and the kind of anti-war and anti-imperialist solidarity we need today.

Ryan Moore — The days when Karl Marx’s ideas were assumed to be incompatible with environmentalism and in need of greening are thankfully past, thanks in no small part to Kohei Saito’s contributions.

Jerry Harris — Independence and self-determination have been a guiding socialist principle for more than 100 years. Understanding these long-held principles is essential in the discussion regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Michael Pröbsting discusses the important changes that have occurred within the global imperialist system in recent decades and its implications for revolutionary strategy today.

Jason Devine — Reading what Lenin wrote about Marx can really only tell us what the former thought about the latter. It is best to refer back to actual sources. In this way we can see that the idea Marx was a Hegelian idealist is pure myth.

John Smith, author of "Imperialism in the Twenty-First Century: Globalization, Super-Exploitation, and Capitalism’s Final Crisis", discusses the realities of imperialism today and what it means for those fighting for a socialist future.