The fourth module of our Socialist Night School study series on imperialism—“Imperialism Today: An Investigation of Study Series Concepts through Contemporary Case Studies”—focuses on contemporary manifestations of imperialism utilizing case studies that hit especially close to home. Alongside cases on the Greek Syriza movement and the European Union are cases addressing the US relationship with Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
There are many questions to ask, discuss, and answer. How does our understanding of national sovereignty, dispossession through debt, global financialization, and the triumph of neoliberalism inform our conception of imperialism today? Do conventional models of imperialism match contemporary reality — and if not, how do ongoing offenses against Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the periphery of the Eurozone challenge conventional theories? What can and should be done to combat US imperialism both within and beyond its borders? These are some of the questions we will work through this module.
Recommended Reading
To prepare for this session, we ask attendees to read through Module 4 (pp. 78-106) of the DSA-LA Imperialism Reader, which includes:
- Linda Backiel, “Puerto Rico: The Crisis Is About Colonialism, Not Debt” (pp. 79-83)
- Richard Seymour, “Syriza: the Denouement” (pp. 84-86)
- Panagiotis Sotiris and Spyros Sakellaropoulos, “European Union as Class Project and Imperialist Strategy” (pp. 87-96)
- Paul Krehbiel, “US Imperialism in Venezuela” (97-106)
Were you unable to attend the first three sessions? No problem! You can review the content from Module 1: Is Imperialism the Highest Stage of Capitalism?, Module 2: America’s Ascent as an Imperial Power, and Module 3: The National Question.
Interested in attending our Socialist Night School sessions? Check our calendar for upcoming session dates.
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