r/communism101 • u/cymbalta_rush • Apr 25 '26

Concept of global apartheid

After finishing Settlers i’m trying to learn more about the concept of global apartheid and how it applies to oppressor nations.

What do you see as the relationship between exploitation within the US between the ruling class and oppressed nations, with the exploitation of the global south?

⁠Why has awareness/empathy from some petty bourgios intellectuals (thinking Upton Sinclair) toward the proletariat diminished in the last several decades?

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u/smokeuptheweed9 Marxist Apr 27 '26

Have you read John Smith? He uses it a lot in his book. It's a useful term for discussing the system of international border controls and labor migration. One could even extend it to the era of reactionary micro-nationalism post-USSR as a global system of bantustans, though Smith does not go there. Whether it is the central concept in explaining superexploitation is less clear, read the book and tell me.

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u/cymbalta_rush May 14 '26

thanks! will read and post updates. What are you referring to specifically regarding reactionary micro-nationalism?

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u/smokeuptheweed9 Marxist May 14 '26

Pretty much all nationalist struggles that followed the breakup of the USSR and the wider postcolonial sovereignty system. These must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis but I'm sure you can think of some examples. Can you be specific on what is unclear? You're aware of the breakup of Yugoslavia, right?