Every Country Is "Imperialist"

Dear Readers:

Humankind has always been deceived by "perception": we stick to the first impression we form about an event or definition, and then we are unwilling to question subsequent changes. Moreover, we do not easily abandon the beliefs we hold.

This situation also finds its place in political terminology. Today, it is believed that there is only one imperialist country in the world; that is the USA, because we have been taught this since our childhood and youth. However, the reality is very different!

"DOWN WITH AMERICAN IMPERIALISM"

Towards the end of the 1960s, the youth of the world united with one voice: "Down with American Imperialism!"

The ongoing bloody Vietnam War, in particular, strongly etched this slogan into the consciousness of the people. Someone traveling the world between 1967-70 could very easily have made the following prediction: "There is only one imperialist country in the world, and that is America!"

In Muslim countries, this definition was even more layered, because the Arab-Israeli war was ongoing, and the US was siding with Israel.

Turkish youth had also embraced this slogan. Finally, an opportunity for a show of force arose spontaneously. The US 6th Fleet, the American naval force in the Mediterranean, anchored in Dolmabahçe on July 15, 1968. Hearing the news, revolutionary youth streamed like a flood from Istanbul University and ITU campuses to Dolmabahçe. Protests continued for two days. On July 17, events escalated, and American soldiers were thrown into the sea.

The impression or perception that the US was the only imperialist country in the world continued for years. In fact, other imperialist states, hidden behind this slogan and silently observing what was happening, hoped that with the decline of US imperialism (!), the field would be left to them, or at least their own imperialist identities would be overlooked.

If you wish, let's take a look at the development of imperialism from the end of the 19th century to today, and examine its three intertwined stages together. Unfortunately, the number of studies that evaluate these three different stages of imperialism is either quite limited or almost nonexistent.

1. CLASSICAL IMPERIALISM OR PRODUCTION-INTENSIVE CAPITALISM

The concept of imperialism has undergone three significant changes throughout history. Its first stage is the "Classical Imperialism" stage. Lenin best defined this period in his work "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism," written in 1916.

Unfortunately, this book was first translated into Turkish by Cemal Süreyya in 1974, 58 years later. Considering that US imperialism entered its third stage from 1980 onwards, we can say how late Lenin's book was translated, and that readers in the 70s evaluated imperialism and world events through the lens of Lenin's long-outdated "Classical Imperialism." However, Lenin could not foresee the second and third stages of imperialism that emerged in 1950 and 1980.

The most prominent feature of Classical Imperialism is its production-oriented nature, with production taking place in imperialist countries. On the one hand, the search for markets to sell products, and on the other hand, the sharing of raw material sources needed, were of primary importance. The competition to seize world markets and raw material sources led to the First and Second World Wars.

2. IMPERIALISM BASED ON KNOW-HOW (COPYRIGHT) TRANSFER

Imperialism completed its first stage in the 1950s. As production increased and demand from markets rose, a significant problem emerged: sending products (e.g., cars, refrigerators, TVs, radios, etc.) to markets all over the world caused serious logistical costs.

To overcome this problem, the US and other imperialist countries partially moved their production centers to territories outside the US by making Know-How agreements with investors in market countries, thus retaining copyright in their own hands.

Thus, the "Comprador Bourgeoisie" class emerged in countries that were once markets for their products, making Know-How agreements with them. (The word "Comprador" is derived from the English word "Comprador," meaning "collaborator.")

In Turkey, the Koç and Sabancı families gained power by collaborating with foreign capital and producing within the framework of their copyrights. Unwillingly, a "Working Class" gradually emerged in market countries.

A similar situation can be observed within the Soviet Union (USSR). For example, between 1920-50, the most important factories (production centers) were established in Russian territories, and other republics were used as markets and raw material sources. From 1950 onwards, production centers began to be opened in other republics to reduce logistical costs. In a sense, the USSR experienced the stages of imperialism within itself, similar to and parallel with capitalist imperialism.

In Know-How-based imperialism, power continued to remain in the hands of certain countries. Many imperialist countries that were strong during the period of classical imperialism lost their power by failing to adapt to the second stage of imperialism. The best examples of this are England and France. In a sense, we can say that from 1950 onwards, England and France rapidly declined from their "imperialist" position, losing their importance.

3. SERVICE SECTOR-ORIENTED IMPERIALISM

From 1980 onwards, especially with the entry of computers and the Internet into daily life, "production-oriented imperialism" suddenly turned upside down. In the first stage of imperialism, countries in an "imperialist" position took care to keep production in their own hands, while in the second stage, they moved production to other countries through Know-How agreements, i.e., by retaining copyright under their control (seeing production in their own country as an unnecessary burden), and tried to transfer this task to countries like China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, and Mexico.

In the new era, that is, in the third stage of imperialism, the important thing has been to develop and hold onto the Service Sector (Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, etc. programs, Amazon, e-commerce, eBay, PayPal, GittiGidiyor, e-government, financial products, Bitcoin, etc. applications).

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, explained his goal at the beginning of 1980: "There will be a computer in every home!" When Bill Gates made this prediction, there wasn't even a single computer in Turkey. Today, if we include iPhones and similar smartphones, it is possible to say that there are 4-5 computers in every home.

Today, in the US, 0.86% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), i.e., national wealth, comes from agriculture, 18.53% from industry (production), and 76.89% from the service sector. It is possible to see how insignificant industrial production has become with the figures above.

The current dire situation of Detroit, once the center of the US and world automotive industry

The sole reason for the collapse of the Soviet Union should be sought in its inability to create the Service Sector, which emerged with the use of computers, and its consequent loss of global competitiveness.

While the US was developing and marketing the Service Sector, the Soviet Union could not even manage to produce a decent car or TV, let alone the Service Sector. The only thing it could proudly do was sell agricultural products (especially wheat) to world markets. The Soviet Union adopted an economic model of surviving by selling raw materials such as iron and steel, grain, and oil to the world market.

Instead of embracing computer technology to maintain competitiveness, the USSR saw and positioned itself as a "source of raw materials and energy." As a result, it could not withstand external dynamics and fell apart.

AN EXAMPLE FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR: AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION IN THE US

The Ford Motor Company was founded in the US in 1903. Its founder, Henry Ford, developed mass production techniques, and soon after, launched his car called the Ford Model T in 1908. By 1918, Ford produced half of the cars in the US. Henry Ford set a goal: "There will be a Ford car in every home!"

For years, Ford produced its cars in the US and sold them worldwide (First Stage of Imperialism). From 1955 onwards, Ford opened factories based on Know-How in many countries, including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, South Africa, and Turkey (Second Stage of Imperialism / Comprador Bourgeoisie Period).

Ford partnered with the Koç Family's Otosan Company in Turkey. Thus, the company named Ford Otosan emerged. However, despite the passing years, Turkey has not been successful in producing its own car.

It is said that the domestic car produced by the Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group (TOGG) will be launched in 2023. If this is possible, Turkey will finally be able to produce its own car, exactly 115 years after the US. In short, while the US is entering the third stage of imperialism, Turkey will only be able to enter its first stage in 2023. Just as the biggest concern of the US 115 years ago was finding raw materials, energy sources, and markets for its products, Turkey will experience this with a delay.

South Korea has been more fortunate in this regard. For example, the Hyundai company entered the sector by making assembly agreements with imperialist country companies, and from 1980 onwards, it produced its own automobile. In this sense, South Korea is 40 years ahead of Turkey.

In production-intensive economies (just like in the first stage of imperialism), the most important problem is to secure raw materials and markets. This leads to the emergence of a crude imperialist understanding. Especially the securing of energy sources (oil, natural gas), which are the most important raw materials, pushes countries to pursue an imperialist foreign policy.

Currently, all countries in the world are actively producing something, and therefore need raw materials and energy sources, as well as reliable markets for the sale of their products.

As of today, there are 193 countries registered with the United Nations. Many countries are still experiencing the first stage of imperialism. Every country, to the extent of its power (military, population, etc.), acts with an imperialist attitude, pursuing an expansionist policy that will be to the detriment of its neighbors. This situation brings conflicts and tensions in the world to a serious dimension, threatening world peace.

Unfortunately, International Relations experts, politicians, journalists, or ordinary citizens, because they cannot understand this raw material and market competition between countries and the resulting tensions, hold the US responsible for every problem in the world, and every now and then make an assessment like, "American Imperialism is behind this!"

I humbly remind you: TODAY, EVERY COUNTRY, TO THE EXTENT OF ITS POWER, IS IMPERIALIST; that is, there are currently 193 imperialist countries, big and small, in the world! Some are experiencing the first stage of imperialism, some the second, and some the third. Please, let no one play the innocent!

All 193 countries are concerned with expanding their borders, seizing energy and raw material sources, and finding markets for their products.

In short, the majority of countries today are still testing the first stage of imperialism that the US experienced between 1900-1950.

Therefore, the correct slogan should not be "Down with American Imperialism!" but "DOWN WITH WORLD IMPERIALISM!"