• umbrella@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    edit-2
    5 months ago

    as someone in the periphery, i see us imperialism first hand but none of that infamous chinese imperialism you guys like to rave about. they have been trading with us and investing some, thats it.

    • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      How much imperialism you’ll experience and from what source depends greatly on where you are located. The worst Chinese imperialism takes place within their own borders and those of nearby nations. This is almost always true of empires across history.

      That said, they are cautiously expanding into global imperialism as US power gradually wanes. But the early forms are harder to recognize as such. US power is so entrenched that they don’t need to be as careful to disguise what they do.

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        Chinese imperialism takes place within their own borders

        thats not what imperialism even is

        • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          5 months ago

          Imperialism is the nature of expansionist empires. Once they’ve conquered other disparate regions, they continue to practice imperialism by repressing, exterminating or assimilating disparate peoples within those expanded borders. To suggest otherwise would be deny the past imperialism of the British Empire. Was repression and violence against India not imperialist when that country was part of the empire? This seems absurd, especially when you recognize that imperial borders often exist primarily on paper. These peripheral territories only become truly integrated after local diversity and autonomy is crushed. We’ve seen much similar activity in China over the last several decades.

          If you drink the kool-aid of your local instance then you probably believe the completely fabricated and ahistorical definition of imperialism that Stalin invented to deflect criticism of his own imperialism. This will make it impossible for you to recognize non-western imperialism, which is by design.