Absolutely, the notion capitalism is always a force for good is an obscenity.
And imperialism is a form of capitalism, though perhaps not its “highest stage” as Lenin called it.
Are you saying that the Communist Imperialism didn’t happen? :dubious: You can have imperialism without capitalism.
From the Sudan to South Africa, Africa is a shithole, so altho Leo was a Asshole of the First Order, that can’t be blamed on him.
I don’t know anyone who’s ever made such a claim.
That nearly all the world’s economic systems are capitalist to one degree or another, and that contrary systems (e.g. Soviet communism) tend to slide into a capitalist model despite all attempts to enforce things otherwise speaks volumes, though.
But the DRC is a shithole by African standards.
Very different form of it. The Soviets did not colonize or economically exploit or profit from the other Warsaw Pact countries – to the contrary, they were a drain on the Soviet budget, from all I’ve read. It was all about security to them; they wanted a defense-tier against invasions from the West. And also about spreading Communism, of course, they really were True Believers for a long time.
Many Colonies were a drain, even during the colonial era. And the USSR exploited the crap out of the eastern block.
Imperialism is Imperialism.
They colonised to an extent the three Baltic countries. I don’t know about elsewhere but I suspect they colonised some of the Central Asian SSRs too.
Peter Schiff, “people don’t go hungry in a capitalist economy”, quoted from the beginning of this god damn thread.
I don’t think that is the same as “always a force for good”.
Maybe post #1 is written in a different language on your planet… 