u/snapp3r - originally from r/GenZhou
According to Lenin, the five basic features are:
- The concentration of production and capital has developed to such a high stage that it has created monopolies which play a decisive role in economic life
- the merging of bank capital with industrial capital, and the creation, on the basis of this “finance capital”, of a financial oligarchy;
- the export of capital as distinguished from the export of commodities acquires exceptional importance;
- the formation of international monopolist capitalist associations which share the world among themselves, and
- the territorial division of the whole world among the biggest capitalist powers is completed.
Does Russia fulfill this criteria?
u/TheSmokingGnu22 - originally from r/GenZhouWell the russian propaganda has a position that Ukrainian people and culture are non-existent, and it advocates the centuries of russian occupation of Ukraine (first by literal russian empire, then by USSR) and claims it should be taken back under Russia’s “great nation’s” control. It is widely supported by the same people that support the war and ruling russian government.
On the other hand, the same propaganda acknowledges ukrainians and paints them as nazis who destroy russia culture and oppress russians in Ukraine. This is the part of the “freeing Donbass” argument that you’ve described. This is indeed an argument that differs from the straight forward imperial claim.
Imo you can safely accuse Russia of planning to “imperialize” Ukraine. It has done so for centuries (the Donbass in question was not russian, it was gradually taken over after conquering Ukraine, resettling ukrainians living there, and suppressing their culture). Russia was also the ones who instigated the Crimea and Donbass secessions in many ways, though it was of course provoked, and by that time it was heavily russian-leaning due to the previous centuries of assimilation.
We can take a look at Belorussia to get an idea of what a “healthy” Ukraine is in the eyes of Russian government. Belorussia is just an extension of Russia at this point - cultural assimilation, almost no independence, and a fixed government (really just a single dictator) to ensure it stays that way.
u/Specterishaunting - originally from r/GenZhouWhy can y’all not get it through your thick skulls that the Ukrainian government literally has a Nazi Battalion OPENLY in it’s MILITARY. But I’m sure its totally just contained in this battalion right? Hmmm This isn’t Russian propaganda. You seem to lack any kind of historical knowledge on Ukraine.
u/TheSmokingGnu22 - originally from r/GenZhouWait, I was talking about russia being historically imperialist towards ukraine, and what russian media claims, I did not defend the radical nationalism in Ukraine, or claimed that it doesn’t exist.
Happy cake day btw