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description: From Content: Is there any connection between imperialism and the monstrous and disgusting victory opportunism (in the form of social-chauvinism) has gained over the labour movement in Europe? This is the fundamental question of modern socialism. And having in our Party literature fully established first the imperialist character of our era and of the present war [1] and second the inseparable historical connection between social-chauvinism and opportunism as well as the intrinsic similarity of their political ideology we can and must proceed to analyse this fundamental question. We have to begin with as precise and full a definition of imperialism as possible. Imperialism is a specific historical stage of capitalism. Its specific character is threefold: imperialism is monopoly capitalism; parasitic or decaying capitalism; moribund capitalism. The supplanting of free competition by monopoly is the fundamental economic feature the quintessence of imperialism. Monopoly manifests itself in five principal forms: (1) cartels syndicates and trusts -- the concentration of production has reached a degree which gives rise to these monopolistic associations of capitalists; (2) the monopolistic position of the big banks-three four or five giant banks manipulate the whole economic life of America France Germany; (3) seizure of the sources of raw material by the trusts and the financial oligarchy (finance capital is monopoly industrial capital merged with bank capital); (4) the (economic) partition of the world by the international cartels has begun. There are already over one hundred such international cartels which command the entire world market and divide it amicably among themselves -- until war redivides it. The export of capital as distinct from the export of commodities under non-monopoly capitalism is a highly characteristic phenomenon and is closely linked with the economic and territorial-political partition of the world; (5) the territorial partition of the world (colonies) is completed.
language: English
title: Imperialism and the Split in Socialism
publisher: Evergreen Review, Inc.