this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2023
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As a french dude, and given our history, I have no choice but to stand against all imperialisms. Claiming a territory against the will of its people is exactly what imperialism is. France has done that for centuries along with most of the european powers of the time. Imperialism is criminal, it is murderous, and profoundly unjust. It is nothing less than colonisation. Just let people live on their own terms.
In case you're interested in learning more about imperialism from a Marxist perspective, I'd recommend Lenin's Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. You don't have to agree with it, but I don't believe you can have a complete understanding of the way Global South countries have been exploited and subjugated in the last century or so without being aware of the arguments made in this book. The fact that so many of the post WW2 anti-colonial liberation movements were ML or MLM should tell you something.
Also, China doesn't have to claim anything. Elsewhere in this thread people have already pointed out that under International Law Chinese Taipei is already part of China. No country in the world recognizes the ROC or Taiwan as an independent country. To the extent that the populace of the island has a position on this, it's split between wanting to retain a special status within China or separatism. And let's be real here, no country in the world is down with separatist movements. Ask the Kurds, or the Basques, or the Catalonians, or the Chechens etc etc. Hell, let Texas try and secede and see what happens. Realistically, only once Capitalism and Nationalism are both dead and forgotten can humanity start to move away from this geopolitical reality.
Thanks, appreciate the reading suggestion!
How foreign countries consider Taiwan may very well define reality, it's also illegitimate. Would you let someone else tell you what you are ? I consider the only valid stance as per the independence of a territory to be what its citizens have democratically decided. I gather from your reply we're not actually debating this, my bad.
Yes, this is my experience as well
Other countries recognition of your government is one of the key parts of having a government be the government of the place and not a band of dudes in charge. International recognition has long been used as a bargining token by most countries. It wouldn't be used if it wasn't incredibly valuable. Want to join the un? Be recognized by other un members. Want to be able to sign treaties and deals? Need recognition that you're a real state.
Yes you're right
You mean like when the KMT fled to Taiwan, brutalized the natives, and colonized it, imposing four decades of martial law?
To be fair, that isn't the fault of the Fr*nch.
i'm sure we could figure out a way the french are responsible for this with a little time and creativity
In this case it is more the fault of the Dutch.
can we blame the french for the dutch existing? let's get some people on this
Learn what imperialism is FFS. Throwing around words you don’t know the meaning of serves no purpose but to make you appear foolish
If you'd like to try being constructive, you can drop the FFS and follow up with reading advice, for instance, or a bit of your own. It doesn't have to be long winded, it can just be a couple sentences. This is a good habit to make your own, and replace the waving off with.
Ta geule putain you are French! You deserve no more of a civil response lmao suck it up and go find the reading yourself
Thanks for the advice, will read up on this !
Yes you will "read up on" finding the reading yourself
lmao I'll give you a hint, start with "Settlers" by J. Sakai
Imperalism by Lenin as has already been recomended for starters
Appreciate it
KMT, that originally fled and established Formosa, now says they want to reunite with China. The opposition is DPP, US puppet party that is squatting as "western neoliberal government"..
The opposition is the people. Do you actually know anyone from Taiwan ?
The opposition is not "the people". "The people" just want to live peaceful lives without having the US betting their empire on causing WW III in their backyard. In order to properly oppose imperialism, especially as a first worlder, you need to understand the class interests of monopoly capital and how the emergence of finance capital combining with the force and violence of the state is where imperialism comes from. China has never couped a sitting head of state in order to create a banana republic to enslave the populations and resources of another country. There's valid criticisms to be made but ur shooting yourself in the dick if you're criticizing without education on it.
Right, I am quite uneducated on China, I'm only speaking from experience discussing with people from Taiwan. I certainly don't intend to wear a phallus cast
In my experiences talking with most non-right wing Taiwanese people is simply that they want peace and to not be used as a geopolitical pawn for imperialist motives. I think this is a fairly reasonable position and would hope for at least some form of peaceful rapprochement where some amount of autonomy can be established like in the other autonomous regions in China.
The issue is that the current western hegemonic world order helmed by the US is seeking a point of conflict with China to prevent them from effectively disrupting the current status quo which you are probably aware of: imperialism, neocolonialism and unequal exchange. With capitalisms need to continually expand we see again it's need for war in order to establish new markets. Its probably humanity's number one priority to prevent the upcoming world crisis and as many emerging wars as possible (especially considering what that would do to climate change). Combatting the propaganda designed to manufacture consent for an upcoming war with China is the most important thing that a leftist can be doing in regards to geopolitics.
I can understand that. The reliance on war economy is something I learned from Daniel Guérin in "Fascism & capital".
Alright
Fair enough, I understand. Thanks for the breakdown
Happy to help
I'd recommend reading imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism by lenin and Neocolonialism the last stage of imperialism by kwame nkrumah in your spare time if you've got the chance, really great definitive insights into both concepts.
You mean Chinese people? I do. Taiwan and mainland are one China.
lol, that's an answer worthy of a five year old right here. But it does answer my question fairly transparently.
the bourgeoisie are increasingly compelled by a falling rate of profit to use their dominance of the state apparatus to open new markets or access to resource extraction
Opinion rejected
You continue your shit hole's history of imperialism by dictating what is right and wrong for a colored mans nation to do in a faraway geopolitical situation you are largely uninformed about. And the fucking gall of using the bloody history of your barbaric country's colonial exploits as a way to give such pontifications some form of authority. Lmao shut the fuck up and sit down you arrogant bastard.
There are ways to say things without being overly agressive. Take a deep breath. Remember, people aren't their country. I wouldn't associate you with some warfare your country has committed, because I have no reason to assume you have anything to do with it. All the best,
Pick one lmfao ofc you aren't a representative of your entire pissant failed state but the fact remains that your shameful nationality is the only real thing you grounded the validity of your pontifications on. I will be "overly aggressive" towards imperialist troglodytes like yourself and you will do nothing but continue to cry, whine, and seethe because you are an illiterate maggotbrained shit who stands on nothing.
The only people who have the damn right to speak on the issue of imperialism are the victims of your demonic nation and their descendants, not the legacy of the evil bastards who committed such evil crimes against humanity in the first place. Especially since the fucking country you point to is still entangled in a multitude of white supremacist neocolonialist atrocities to this day, utterly ridiculous whataboutery and arrogance but not surprising from a white frenchoid.