The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit meeting was used to foster new illusions among the peoples. Certain forces see imperialism merely as the “empire” of the USA and on this basis they salute the promotion of new emerging capitalist powers in global affairs, such as the emergence of new inter-state unions (BRICS, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Collective Security Treaty Organization, ALBA etc.), which are formed by capitalist states, with an economic–political and military content.

These developments are saluted as the beginning of the emergence of a new “multi-polar world”, which will “reform” and will give “new life” to the UN and the other international organizations that will escape the US “hegemony”. These hypotheses conclude that peace will be ensured in this way.

It is argued that the “new” inter-imperialist contradictions and the apparent realignment of the global system can lead to the “democratization” of international relations, as a world with many “poles” is emerging with the strengthening of Russia, China, Brazil and other states and the relative retreat of the USA’s position.

Related proposals are heard, such as, for example,the expansion of the UN Security Council with other countries.

So the question arises: Can an increased global role for the EU, as, for example, SYRIZA and the Party of the European Left argued for, or even an enhanced role for Russia and China, as claimed by the apologists for the Eurasian imperialist axis that is being formed, create another “peaceful” environment for international developments?

Both objective reality and international experience provide a negative answer. And this is because imperialist wars are not caused by the specific correlation of forces amongst capitalist states at any given moment, but by the laws of capitalism: Uneven capitalist development, competition, the tendency to acquire additional profits. The inter-imperialist contradictions are produced, reproduced and modified on this basis, particularly as regards raw materials, energy, their transport networks, the fight for market shares. It is the monopoly competition that leads to local and generalized military interventions and wars. This competition is conducted using every means possessed by the monopolies and the capitalist states which express the interests of the monopolies. It is reflected in the inter-state agreements, which are constantly being disputed due to uneven development. This is imperialism, the source of military attacks on both a large and small scale.

The talk about a “new democratic global governance”, which is disseminated by social-democratic and opportunist forces aims at ideologically prettifying the new correlation of forces in the capitalist, imperialist barbarity, with the goal of disorientating the workers. This is why they are a misleading whitewash for capitalism, spreading the illusion that capitalism, in its current monopoly stage, i.e. imperialism, can be “peaceful” for the peoples.

Previous wars, like the Second World War, were also unleashed in the name of righting unjust agreements or preventing new wars. There is an urgent need for the workers to be liberated from such illusions and traps regarding the “democratization” of capital and international relations, which line them up behind interests alien to theirs.

The “multi-polar” world as a means of safeguarding peace and people’s interests is a fallacy. In essence, this approach treats the enemy as being an ally, traps popular forces into choosing an imperialist or imperialist union, paralyzes the labour movement.

Moreover, it is important to clarify what is meant by the term “imperialism”. If by this term we understand the scientific criteria established by Lenin his writings, on the basis of which he concludes that it is capitalism in its highest, monopoly stage, then it becomes obvious that a capitalist power, such as Russia, where the monopolies are dominant, cannot be characterized as being an anti-imperialist power.

Forces, even communist ones, that abandon the Leninist understanding of imperialism and treat it as an “aggressive foreign policy” or identify it only with the USA and the view about the US “empire” can end up making enormous political mistakes. A characteristic example of this is that such forces, when Erdoğan sharpens Turkey’s confrontation against Israel, characterize Turkey as an anti-imperialist force, while it is in the imperialist military alliance of NATO, still militarily occupying 40% of Cyprus and threatening Greece that its implementation of the International Law of the Sea in the Aegean would be a casus Belli (reason for war).

The sharpening of the inter-imperialist contradictions and imperialist war on its own do not lead to a change of the correlation of forces in favour of the working class and popular forces, as was demonstrated by the developments in Syria, as well as in Ukraine and other countries. A precondition is the existence of strong CPs, with a well-elaborated revolutionary strategy and roots in the labour–people’s movement in order to direct the insurgent masses towards the goal of overthrowing capitalist barbarity.

02.09.2025