War and Crisis are Creations of Imperialism, Not Fate
While it appeared that capitalism was trying to eradicate poverty, malnutrition, and inequality in the 20th century, the dissatisfaction among people, global warming, environmental issues, and mainly war and terrorism only exacerbated in the 21st century. While exploitation drives the system into these crises, the world’s richest 1% hold approximately 44.5% of global wealth, and an even broader group, the top 10% of the global population, controls about 75% of global wealth. To enrich themselves and maintain their wealth, capitalists must maintain this systemic inequality, and for that, they intensify the exploitation of labour and use violence. This implies that there is no such thing as ‘peace’ in capitalism; instead, it creates imperialism.
Despite that, worldwide information, resources, technology, media, the military, and markets serve war more than they serve the development of society, simply dominating the world economy through monopolies. This ruthless imperialist force ignores human harmony, national sovereignty, and coexistence among nations while targeting only the gain of power through exploitation. As a result, it divides society into isolated individuals and destroys social relations. This was proven by the statement of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who said, “There is no such thing as society. They are individual men and women, and their families,” while cutting off concessions to people in 1987.
Misuse of Technology, a Threat to Humanity
The misuse of technology pushes back the evolution of human society. The technology has also been invented and developed by human civilisation over the generations with persistent effort and sacrifice. The technologies were invented in each historical period, depending on the stage of development and social needs. Therefore, these technologies and knowledge do not belong solely to an individual or a minority, but to the whole of human civilisation. Nevertheless, the most horrible thing is that imperialism is not only preventing the public use of technology, they are using these generational efforts to conduct war against humanity.
Even advanced technologies like nuclear fusion have been used against both humans and the environment. Even with the help of new technology, imperialists try to recreate bioweapons to spread disease and suffocate humanity inside the very medical laboratories. These should have been used to find new medicines. This is the horrible reality we are facing today.
Likewise, nowadays technology has become a threat to humanity. Technology, combined with the control of new social media, is used to justify ruthless actions and horrors. During the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war, initiated by the pro-American government of Ukraine with certain assurances from the joint US-NATO alliance, Russia's access to Google and Western-driven software was limited. Even when accessed, these platforms were used against Russia. Therefore, Russia banned most major Western apps and built its own resources.
Technologies like drones and artificial intelligence are being used to attack each other, inflicting maximum casualties on the other side while suffering minimal damage themselves. The misuse of these resources and knowledge is a massive crime from which humanity cannot recover for generations.
Also, imperialism denies the sovereignty and mutual coexistence of other nations. Every nation has the right to self-determination. But in this imperialist war situation, Russia has also taken steps of the US-led imperialism model, attempting to bring the regions of eastern Ukraine along the borders, including Crimea, into a Russian zone of influence. On the other hand, Ukraine is being tricked into this conflict by the US and NATO-led imperialists to weaken Russia, while guaranteeing war support but later abandoning them completely. So, basically, this implies that if we deviate even slightly from the anti-imperialist point of view, it will reinforce the imperialist model.
Palestine: Laboratory of Imperialist Plunder
The historical and contemporary situation in Palestine can be taken as proof of imperialism as the greatest suppressor of nations. The demand for a separate “Jewish National Home” within Palestine by Zionists, with the backing of British-led Western imperialism, legitimised massive illegal immigration into Palestine. This has successfully led to the declaration of a separate state of Israel in Palestine and the claiming of Palestinian lands, as the imperialists expected.
Even though imperialists try to legitimise this heinous action as benefiting the Jewish people, it was clear that the true ambition behind establishing Israel was to gain control of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, which are the most critical locations for the world economy. Basically, this true nature of imperialism reopened a healed wound and began a war conflict that has existed for more than a century, dividing Palestinians and Jews into two hateful opponents who had settled there centuries ago.
After World War II, following the demise of British-led Western imperialism, Israel has become the pet of US-led imperialism, which acts as the police in the Middle East region to grant access to economic resources, including petroleum and to execute critical war strategies within the region. The US has repeatedly vetoed UN ceasefire resolutions demanded by the rest of the world, thereby undermining the UN Security Council's legitimacy and effectiveness.
Strangling Cuba: Five Decades of Economic Blockade
However, amid all these situations, resistance to imperialism – anti-imperialist movements – is proving the political and economic failure of imperialism. To consolidate their losing power, US-led imperialists impose sanctions and try to strangle resistance. Maintaining heinous sanctions on Cuba for six decades under the US veto, even though those sanctions have been condemned by overwhelming votes in the UN General Assembly for 33 consecutive years, is a clear example. The Helms-Burton Act of 1996 and the activation of its Title III in 2019 are a lethal weapon the US uses to coerce in most international deals. In 2026, the Trump administration blocked Cuba’s fuel supplies – a clear strangulation for a country where 83% of power generation depends on petroleum. The US has also conducted many heinous conspiracies, like destroying crops and farms to cause starvation, which reveals the US’s true ambition: a conscious imperial policy designed to force Cuba to surrender its sovereignty and rejoin the US sphere of influence by using legalised suffering as a political tool. Yet Cuba keeps its sovereignty and resists US imperial control.
Resistance Endures
All these points prove how imperialism cruelly suppresses the people. Human civilisation has evolved through challenges and revolutions, shaping society as a community rather than as individuals. Class divisions have always existed, with the oppressive classes underestimating the power of the oppressed. Despite ongoing suppression, the oppressed have endured and fought back, contributing significantly to societal evolution.
If resistance endured yesterday, today, and tomorrow, resistance against imperialist plunder and pillage will also continue. The people of Cuba, Gaza, Venezuela, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are living examples of resistance to imperialism. Today, the worldwide working class is mobilising and fighting against the heinous hegemony of US-led imperialism. Also, globally, anti-imperial movements like the World Peace Council (WPC), the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) have lined up in the anti-imperial fight, mobilising people, educating society through creative events, and raising their voices. For example, the WFYS 2026 slogan, to be held in Caracas, is: "For Peace and Solidarity, We Fight Against Imperialism and War."
Therefore, anti-imperialism may not be able to correct the effects caused by the heinous imperialist acts as they were. Still, by mobilising against imperialism, we can prevent future tragedies and secure world peace.
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