“anti-imperialism” of idiots

“ This ‘anti-imperialism’ of idiots is one which equates imperialism with the actions of the US alone.

— Leila Al-Shami, “The ‘anti-imperialism’ of idiots”

“ It’s really to the point now that if someone has anti-imperialist in their bio I assume they support the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

— Kareem Rifai

“ Some of these American left orgs that call themselves “anti-war” and “anti-imperialist” seem to mean anti-ONLY-US-imperialist and pro genocide as long as it’s by anyone the US government might consider “bad.” It’s disgusting to watch.

What I see is: The only thing bad is the US, everything else is totally fine. Who cares what people harmed “over there” say? We know better because we’re American.

Zero nuance. Zero contextual analysis.

— Timnit Gebru

https://twitter.com/gabriel3arroyo/status/1574933670699290624 "It is amazing how 99% of the people who claim to be anti imperialists, always end up defending the most insane and stupid bullshit. Despite the fact anti imperialism is obviously correct, there is something about it, that only attracts unhinged lunatics."

Anti-imperialism: Russia initiating a violent imperialist invasion isn't a problem, but the US sending aid is somehow the reason why there's no peace 👍🏼

https://twitter.com/KareemRifai/status/1576214157162340352

Examples

• US libertarians in general: Kremlintarianism

• “Stop the War”: “Marching forth with Stop the War: Britain’s left must reject the anti-West reactionaries at the heart of its movement” (archive)

• Syria: “Erasing People through Disinformation: Syria and the ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Fools”

• Ukraine: Taras Bilous, “A letter to the Western Left from Kyiv”, February 25, 2022 [1]

• Ukraine: Oksana Dutchak, “10 Terrible Leftist Arguments against Ukrainian Resistance”

• Israel: Alan Johnson, “The Anti-Imperialism of Idiots”, “Linfield’s book shows how the ground was laid for the Old Left’s socialism of fools to morph into the New Left’s anti-imperialism of idiots.” (the book: Susie Linfield, The Lions’ Den: Zionism and the Left from Hannah Arendt to Noam Chomsky)

• Caitlin Johnstone

• The Ukraine War: Misperceptions on the Left

• Review of Rohini Hensman’s Indefensible: A Challenge to Pseudo-Anti-Imperialism

See also

• Westsplaining
• Campism
• Useful idiots
• Tankies
• Kremlinism
• Kremlinophilia
• Putinism
• Kremlintarianism