What is imperialism

Because for the global left, imperialism is the great sin of the modern world. What Erik Loomis is proposing is left-wing economic imperialism. The gradual recognition of the constitutional theory of the British empire, and the assumption by the principal Imperialism. Already we had given Imperialism a criticism, and leavened half the press from our columns. There is another side to imperialism besides dreaded anarchies. Marx with his book is driving the states out of the trench of imperialism and capitalism.

Imperialistic take-overs have been happening all over the world for hundreds of years, one of the most notable examples being the colonization of America. While the colonization of the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries differed in nature from the expansion of the United States, Japan, and the European powers during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both periods are examples of imperialism.

Imperialism has evolved since the struggles between prehistoric clans for scarce food and resources, but it has retained its bloody roots. Throughout history, many cultures suffered under the domination of their imperialist conquerors, with many indigenous societies being unintentionally or deliberately destroyed. Empires do not undertake the expenses and dangers of imperialistic expansion without what their leaders consider to be ample justification. Throughout recorded history, imperialism has been rationalized under one or more of the following five theories.

The better-developed nation sees imperialism as a means of maintaining its already successful economy and stable social order. By securing new captive markets for its exported goods, the dominant nation is able to sustain its employment rate and redirect any social disputes of its urban populations into its colonial territories.

Historically, this rationale embodies an assumption of ideological and racial superiority within the dominant nation. Growing wealth and capitalism in the dominant nation results in the production of more goods than its population can consume. Its leaders see imperialist expansion as a way to reduce its expenses while increasing its profits by balancing production and consumption. As an alternative to imperialism, the wealthier nation sometimes chooses to solve its under-consumption problem internally through liberal legislative means such as wage control.

Lenin cited capitalist-imperialist aspirations as the cause of World War I and called for the adoption of a Marxist form of imperialism instead.

Imperialism actually serves no real economic or political purpose. Originally created to satisfy an actual need for national defense, the warrior class eventually manufactures crises that can only be dealt with through imperialism in order to perpetuate its existence. While imperialism and colonialism both result in the political and economic domination of one nation over others, there are subtle but important differences between the two systems.

In essence, colonialism is the physical practice of global expansion, while imperialism is the idea that drives this practice. In a basic cause-and-effect relationship, imperialism can be thought of as the cause and colonialism as the effect. In its most familiar form, colonialism involves the relocation of people to a new territory as permanent settlers.

In contrast, imperialism is simply the imposition of political and economic control over a conquered nation or nations through the use of military force and violence. For example, the British colonization of America during the 16th and 17th centuries evolved into imperialism when King George III stationed British troops in the colonies to enforce ever more restrictive economic and political regulations imposed on the colonists.

The Age of Imperialism spanned the year all the way to During the early 15th to the late 17th century, European powers such as England, Spain, France, Portugal, and Holland acquired vast colonial empires. The early British Empire established one of its most profitable colonies in North America. Despite suffering a setback in the loss of its American colonies in , Britain more than recovered by gaining territory in India, Australia, and Latin America.

By the end of the age of Old Imperialism in the s, Great Britain had become the dominant colonial power with territorial holdings in India, South Africa, and Australia. While the European empires established footholds on the coasts of Africa and China following the first wave of imperialism, their influence over local leaders was limited.

Driven by their need to deal with the over-production and under-consumption economic consequences of the Industrial Revolution , the European nations pursued an aggressive plan of empire building.

Word of the Day have a heart of gold. Blog Outsets and onsets! Read More. November 08, To top. English American Translations. Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content:. Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge. Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes. Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Overseas expansion is a way to reduce costs and thereby increase or maintain profit levels and to secure new consumption.

Overseas expansion is not inevitable, however. A state can solve the problem of underconsumption by increasing the income levels of the majority of the population either through legislation concerning wage levels minimum wage laws, legalization of unions, child labor laws or through income transfers unemployment compensation, welfare. If, contemplating the enormous expenditure on armaments, the ruinous wars, the diplomatic audacity of knavery by which modern Governments seek to extend their territorial power, we put the plain, practical question, Cui bono?

Investors who have put their money in foreign lands, upon terms which take full account of risks connected with the political conditions of the country, desire to use the resources of their Government to minimize these risks, and so to enhance the capital value and the interest of their private investments.

The investing and speculative classes in general also desire that Great Britain should take other foreign areas under her flag in order to secure new areas for profitable investment and speculation. Hobson, Imperialism. A Study Marxist Theories Example: Lenin Imperialism also arises because increased concentration of wealth leads to undeconsumption.