By: Begum Shamim Choudhary
Information Secretary, Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz | Sub-Editor, Monthly Manshoor.
The current global situation of the 21st century marks that stage of capitalism which is defined in Marxism as Imperialism. This is a phase where monopoly capital, the supremacy of finance capital, the global division of markets and resources, and military aggression have become essential tools for the survival of the capitalist system.
Today, this very imperialist system is facing a profound and comprehensive crisis. A prominent manifestation of this is the growing contradiction between the United States and Europe.
The Law of Uneven Development
According to Comrade Lenin’s analysis, imperialist powers do not always maintain equal strength. Over time, the «uneven development of capitalism» creates imbalances between various imperialist centers.
After the end of the Cold War, the United States established itself as the sole dominant imperialist power, while Europe gradually transformed into a secondary imperialist center. Today, to maintain its declining hegemony, the U.S. is exploiting not only weaker nations but also its own allies—particularly Europe.
The Impact of the Ukraine War
The Ukraine war has exposed the reality that European economies are suffering from an energy crisis, inflation, and industrial decline. Conversely, American military, financial, and energy monopolies have succeeded in reaping extraordinary profits. This situation is intensifying the internal contradictions within the imperialist alliance.
Europe’s Semi-Autonomous Status
If we analyze closely, Europe today is neither a fully independent imperialist power nor a completely subservient one. It exists as a semi-autonomous imperialist block.
* Military: Its defense remains under U.S. control through NATO.
* Economy: It is trapped in the clutches of the Dollar and international financial institutions.
* Foreign Policy: It enjoys only limited and conditional freedom.
While the U.S. desire to occupy Greenland has caused a stir and sparked calls for «Strategic Autonomy» within Europe, these slogans have yet to provide a real path outside the framework of the imperialist system.
A Multipolar World
A significant sign of the current crisis of capitalism is the gradual shift toward a multipolar world.
* China is emerging as a massive industrial and commercial power.
* Russia is challenging American superiority in the military and energy sectors.
* Africa, Latin America, and Asia are moving toward new alignments.
These factors are weakening the foundations of the U.S.-led imperialist system, leaving Europe in a state of confusion. Europe lacks the strength to fully break away from U.S. imperialism, yet it is no longer in a position to pay the rising price of total subservience.
The Class Crisis
The role of Europe in these circumstances may be evolutionary, reformist, or interest-based, but there are no signs of a revolutionary change yet. While this scenario points toward the decline of the imperialist system, its complete end is not yet in sight.
The weakening economic and political conditions of Europe and the U.S. have fueled new wars, inflation, unemployment, and cuts in social services. The cost is being borne by the working class across the globe, including in the West.
Conclusion
The growing anti-war movements and labor resistance in Europe and America indicate that the crisis of the imperialist system is no longer merely a state-level issue but is taking the form of a class crisis.
The friction between Europe and the U.S. is not a result of moral or human awakening; it is a product of the internal contradictions and decay of the imperialist system. As long as this exploitative, profit-driven capitalist-imperialist system exists, wars, exploitation, and global instability will persist.
This entire situation can only be transformed through the anti-imperialist revolutionary struggle of the workers of America, Europe, and the rest of the world.