Imperialism

By Jake Tompkins
Ideas & Action
WSA

We are submitting this as “discussion piece”. The author expresses our broad stroke views on nationalism and imperialism. We welcome readers comments are invited. Those interested in the official W.S.A. views on these topics are welcome to view the appropriate sections of our “Where We Stand” statement. We welcome readers comments.

This article will be aimed at laying out a general Anarcho-syndicalist position on the “national question”, colonialism and imperialism, and national liberation. This will not be an original theoretical contribution, but will be a loose tying together of the general Anarchist praxis and theory on these subjects into one coherent position. Anarcho-syndicalists are revolutionary unionists and anti-authoritarian socialists and as such the Anarcho-syndicalist approach to this question will be an approach that comes out of these traditions.
 

This article highlights how the US state created the conditions in the Middle East in which a right-wing reactionary force like the Islamic State (formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) could emerge. Along with this - and central to the article - it discusses how the US state is refusing to back the only two effective forces that are fighting the Islamic State: the Kurdish Workers' Party and the People's Protection Units. Indeed, this article is also written to express solidarity with the People's Protection Units that are currently fighting a key battle against the Islamic State to hold onto the city of Kobani in Syria.