--- Title: Imperialism knows no holidays Date: 10/07/2020 Category: Global News Tags: imperialism trade-war war URL: https://marxismo.school/communia/en/imperialism-knows-no-holidays --- The agony of the EU, the possible nuclearization of a Turkey increasingly at odds with the US and the EU, and the militarization of the US-China conflict were the main _red lights_ of the imperialist conflict this week. With the [defeat of Calviño for the presidency of the Eurogroup, Germany has received a strong warning](https://www.lainformacion.com/espana/sanchez-calvino-eurogrupo-fondo-europa-bruselas/2809977/) in the middle of negotiations on the form that the rescue funds will take. The Spanish press and the minister herself are [delusional](https://www.elconfidencial.com/economia/2020-07-10/calvino-eurogrupo-apalabrado-10votos-cambio-idea_2676167/): she blames the conservative majority, the fact that she is "the only woman at the table" and points out that the Greek government lied to her about its vote. The reality: only the latter was minimally significant. The crux of the matter: the _nordist countries_, now self-baptized as the _a href="https://www.lainformacion.com/mundo/asi-fraguo-jugada-maestra-holanda-irlanda-vencer-calvino/2809979/">New Hanseatic League_, that is, those traditionally most closely linked, economically and strategically, to the Anglo-Saxon powers. In short, the Netherlands, Ireland, the Baltic republics, Finland, Denmark and Sweden, the latter so loosely linked to Germany that they never joined the euro. They are able to draw the Visegrad group - Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia - in their common desire to avoid any European federalization or mutualization, since they know that it would mean increasing their dependence on German capital through political subordination. As the Spanish TV and press insists, Calviño's strong supporters - France, Germany, Italy and Spain itself - represent 80% of the Eurozone's GDP. And it is for this reason, and not in spite of this, that the really striking thing is that they were defeated by a single vote. And, as we shall see in the next point, it is no coincidence that they are targeting precisely the Greek, reinforced by the US in its main battle and relatively well off in the new wave of crisis. The [French-German rescue proposal](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/franco-german-proposal-swan-song-or-a-new-beginning) was marketed as _the birth_ of a new EU, but it increasingly seems to be a more problematic birth, maybe a stillbirth, for its proponents, which on the other hand [are increasingly weakened by the crisis. That France is signing a](https://www.dw.com/es/las-exportaciones-alemanas-vuelven-a-retroceder-en-mayo/a-54102528) [double nationality treaty with Spain](https://www.efe.com/efe/espana/portada/espana-firmara-con-francia-su-primer-convenio-de-doble-nacionalidad-en-europa/10010-4293301), which is completely useless in the current EU framework, might be a sign that the central states themselves no longer trust not only the sustainability of Schengen, but also that of the free movement of people and workers in the years to come. [![](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/ejercicios-de-soldados-israel%C3%ADes-y-chipriotas.jpg)](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/ejercicios-de-soldados-israel%C3%ADes-y-chipriotas.jpg) Joint exercises of Israeli and Cypriot soldiers. The internal challenge goes hand in hand with the external one. This week, the Commissioner for Foreign and Security Policy, Borrell, claimed that [the escalation with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean is the EU's main security threat](https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/north-africa/2020/07/09/Escalation-with-Turkey-in-the-Eastern-Mediterranean-threatens-Europe-EU-official.html). The Turkish domination of Libya and the [Libyan-Turkish drilling in waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus are increasingly being treated openly as a _casus belli_](http://www.ekathimerini.com/254529/article/ekathimerini/news/us-official-turkey-libya-maritime-deal-eastmed-drilling-are-counterproductive) in Brussels. But, as expected, Borrell's visits [have not convinced Erdogan](https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/07/turkey-eu-tensions-borrell-visit-ankara-greece-cyprus-libya.html) to ease the tension. On the contrary, the [verbal escalation with France goes on](http://www.ekathimerini.com/254472/article/ekathimerini/news/france-turkey-tensions-mount-after-nato-naval-incident) and [the trespassing of Greek airspace by Turkish fighters becomes commonplace](http://www.ekathimerini.com/254468/article/ekathimerini/news/turkish-jets-embark-on-barrage-of-violations) while France negotiates the [sale of two state-of-the-art frigates to Greece](http://www.ekathimerini.com/254519/article/ekathimerini/news/athens-paris-edging-towarddeal-on-frigates) with an open confrontation scenario in the Eastern Mediterranean in mind. More importantly, the US is [openly engaging in pro-Greek and pro-Cyprus](https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/07/turkey-lash-out-us-support-cyprus-military-training-israel.html). Not only because American oil companies have high expectations of the exploration contracts signed with both of them to search for gas in the very waters for which Turkey says it is willing to go to war, but because both Israel and Egypt, also part of the same business, have a direct interest in stopping Turkey's support for the _Muslim Brotherhood_ in Palestine and Libya. Thus [the US has sent one of its navies to carry out exercises with the Cypriot navy](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/conduct-military-training-cyprus-upsetting-turkey-200709071241744.html) and has joined the Greeks in their [denunciation of the transformation of Hagia Sophia into a mosque](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/08/world/europe/erdogan-hagia-sophia-mosque.html). Erdogan has returned the symbolic blow [expelling American evangelical and Protestant pastors](https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/07/turkey-expel-ban-protestant-missionaries-threat-public-order.html The U.S. joins in maneuvers with Cyprus), but his main response, according to regional intelligences, has been **[to speed up his secret nuclear program in order to have atomic bombs](https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/07/10/Turkey-s-Erdogan-may-be-seriously-pursuing-his-nuclear-ambitions-Expert.html) with which to sustain the escalation of coming attacks**. [![](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/portaviones-eeuu-pacifico.jpg)](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/portaviones-eeuu-pacifico.jpg) US aircraft carrier patrolling the South China Sea. The U.S. continues to [deepen its economic war against Chinese capital](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/07/business/economy/white-house-chinese-investment.html) and [increase military pressure in the Indian and Pacific regions](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/aircraft-carriers-conduct-military-drills-south-china-sea-200704145424749.html). It is a [long term game](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3092638/us-china-competition-indo-pacific-marathon-not-sprint) as they say from the Department of Defense itself... but it is based on [military deployments not seen since the invasion of Iraq](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3092555/us-upgrades-defensive-buffer-pacific-chinas-military) and [increasingly aggressive reactions of the Chinese army](https://www.infobae.com/america/eeuu/2020/07/06/un-diario-del-regimen-chino-dijo-que-habia-misiles-mata-portaaviones-contra-la-flota-de-los-estados-unidos-en-la-region-la-respuesta-fue-lapidaria/). China seems resigned to the disappearance of Hong Kong as an international financial center. With little to gain or retain once retaliation by the US and its Anglo-Saxon allies is underway, [the deployment of measures to regain full political control of the territory has begun](https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/07/08/pekin-deploie-son-arsenal-de-mesures-de-controle-a-hongkong_6045607_3210.html). But perhaps the most significant thing today is how Hong Kong has drawn the boundaries of a new _American bloc_. And there are surprises. For starters, [Mexico, which looks to Beijing as a possible rescue for its oil sector](https://www.lainformacion.com/mundo/china-lanza-el-dorado-espanol-en-mexico/2809948/). In Europe, while [Merkel was keeping a safe distance, to the fury of the Americans](https://www.businessinsider.com/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-accused-too-close-to-china-2020-7?IR=T), Macron was [much more belligerent](https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/hong-kong-les-ripostes-internationales-contre-la-chine_fr_5f06e166c5b6480493cbc41f). Predictably, [Taiwan is increasingly aligned with the US](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3091686/taiwan-will-reopen-guam-office-sign-stronger-ties-us-face). Others [like Indonesia](https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3092487/indonesia-moving-towards-japan-and-away-china-just-follow-railway) or the Philippines are indirectly approaching the US, avoiding direct confrontation with China. And the Anglo-Saxon countries are radicalizing, [starting with Great Britain](https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3091686/taiwan-will-reopen-guam-office-sign-stronger-ties-us-face), where the [pro-Brexit lobby is now the anti-China lobby](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/09/the-guardian-view-on-britain-and-china-fasten-your-seatbelts) because both represent the same thing: alignment with the US. Australia gave a free hand to a [retaliatory escalation](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/australia-steps-hong-kong-action-wake-china-security-law-200709034414553.html) and made [gestures](https://www.elconfidencial.com/mundo/2020-07-09/australia-frena-acuerdo-extradicion-hong-kong-ley-seguridad-china_2674443/). And both [Australia](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/09/australia-offers-five-year-extension-hong-kong-visa-holders-extradition-treaty) and [Canada](https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3091850/china-accuses-canada-grossly-interfering-over-hong) received complaints from China about _serious interference in internal matters_. [![](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/parlamento-serbio.jpg)](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/parlamento-serbio.jpg) Serbian parliament assaulted by a coalition of anti-vaccine and far-right hooligans protesting the lockout The union of economic crisis with the development of imperialist tensions advances an immediate future of petty bourgeois revolts animated from outside. The famous Russian _disinformation_ campaigns are falling short of those of a [Bannon who, from Argentina](https://www.perfil.com/noticias/politica/steve-bannon-enemigo-papa-francisco-desembarca-argentina.phtml) to Serbia, via Spain, is [feeding a petty bourgeoisie as wanton as it is angry](https://www.clarin.com/politica/cacerolazo-gobierno-distintos-barrios-ciudad-provincia-buenos-aires_0_nxv68bCSj.html) with alliances and delusional speeches hitherto only imaginable in the United States. We saw it [in Belgrade this week](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53332225): the surrealistic image of anti-vaccine groups and right-wing extremist Red Star hooligans assaulting the parliament will go down in the annals of the moral collapse of the European petty bourgeoisie, but it will not remain as an isolated event. [![](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/Whirlpool-napoles.jpg)](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/assets/Whirlpool-napoles.jpg) Whirpool workers protesting in Naples. 450 will be laid off this week. Meanwhile, the [upward trend of workers' struggles that we observed in June](https://marxismo.school/communia/en/workers-struggles-in-june) seems to continue this month, spreading through Africa and increasing the number of workers involved in Asia, Europe and South America. It is a movement that is as powerful and promising as it is invisible to the international media, which is still engaged in a real campaign of invisibility. In the midst of a crisis, the system denies us more than ever. It denies our needs and our very existence.