Well said. The maths of infinite extraction on a finite planet always had an expiration date, even if the timeline is protracted. It’s going to be incredibly fascinating and probably pretty turbulent to watch how the rest of this century plays out as that reality fully sets in. Really enjoyed this discussion.

It sounds like we are entirely on the same page. The timeline shifted and the system proved highly elastic by evolving into neocolonialism, but the fundamental mechanics of extraction remained the same. The real question now is whether the current rise of multipolarity is finally the breaking point of that system, or if capital will find yet another way to mutate.

You are absolutely right about the ‘expand or die’ mechanics on a finite planet. However, it’s not entirely accurate that Lenin didn’t have a timeframe in mind. He subtitled his pamphlet ‘the eve of the social revolution’ because he genuinely believed the carnage of World War I was the terminal crisis. He didn’t foresee capitalism’s ability to mutate, adopt Keynesian reforms, and stabilise post-WWII. His mechanical diagnosis of finance capital was incredibly prescient, but he underestimated capitalism’s elasticity unfortunately 🥲

This is well written, but sadly for us, capitalism has proven to be more adaptable than Lenin predicted, having declared it as moribund over a century ago.

And those 40 down votes probably came from 4 different people.

Don’t down vote those people though, you’ll get a ban.

One China? PRC has never occupied Taiwan.