Introduction: Anti-Imperialism Part 2

Last month's Dump Truck presented a series of articles on superpower imperialism. The different perspectives tried to trace the changing ways in which the world's most powerful nations established empires. Although complex networks of financial, political, and cultural institutions have replaced colonial governments as common agents of imperial control, the consequences of imperialism are much the same today as they always were: economic dependence, political control, social inequality, cultural repression, and pure and simple human suffering.

This month's supplement provides a glimpse at another part of the picture, a view of imperialism as it is directed at and practiced within the third world.

Seth Kupferberg discusses the history of the Middle East conflict, and Lew Clayton explores the complex politics of oil.

Tom Lee and Robin Freedberg investigate mainland China both as imperialism's victim and practitioner.

Robin Freedberg also outlines the connection between third world technological development and the "westernization" of underdeveloped countries.

Jane Baird uses Chile and Brazil as two cases of U.S. intervention in Latin America. Dan Swanson analyzes the urban guerrilla movement as a response to U.S.-backed military control.

Jeff Leonard sketches the history of foreign interference in Africa.

Seth Kupferberg concludes with a study of two countries which have escaped domination by the major powers in the last 25 years: Cuba, which escaped U.S. domination, and Yugoslavia, which has established its independence of the Soviets.

Of course, two supplements hardly cover the full story of the continuing struggle of most of the world for political freedom and economic security. What they do attempt to do is outline the dimensions of a problem difficult to comprehend even in theory and too easy to forget in a country which has become the main intruder into the lives of other nations.