2024 is not 1914. Nonetheless, imperialism was the dominant system then, as it is now. A century ago, several neo-mercantilist imperial powers vied to establish primacy over the others. Things have changed. Our era is one of planetary imperialism and globalized capitalism where one power, the U.S., already exercises hegemony over all. No other, including China and Russia, has the need or the capacity to replace it. We are not faced with relatively equal adversaries facing off, as in WWI, but with one hegemonic power trying desperately, by and all means, to cling to its world-wide domination. Herein lies the source of the major tensions and conflicts in the world today. Samir Saul revisits the notion of imperialism, establishes a typology of imperialism and shows how relevant the concept is today. Since the fall of the Soviet Bloc, the term "imperialism" has largely disappeared from public discourse, even among left-wing or formerly left-wing authors and publications. Yet reality is relentless, and the issue has returned in full force. This book attempts to develop a new interpretation of imperialism, based on a historical approach. Highlighting the historical continuity of imperialism, it shows how crucial it is to understanding what is happening today.
