The basic characteristics of international monopoly capitalism are organically linked with its nature and essence. Characteristics are nothing more than the concrete embodiment and development of its essence, which enables people to understand the essence of international monopoly capitalism more deeply. Lenin defined imperialism as "the monopoly stage of capitalism". He particularly emphasized that monopoly and financial capital are the most important features of imperialism. And specifically pointed out the following five characteristics: "(1) the concentration of production and capital has developed to such a high level that it has caused a monopoly organization that plays a decisive role in economic life;" (2) Bank capital and industrial capital have been merged, and a financial oligarchy has been formed on the basis of this' financial capital'; (3) Capital export, which is different from commodity export, is of great significance; (4) An international monopoly alliance of capitalists has been formed to carve up the world; (5) The largest capitalist country has carved up the territory of the world. " Lenin's masterpiece was written in 1916, 9 years ago. During this period, many great changes have taken place in the world, but history has proved that Lenin's analysis and conclusion are correct. Apart from "dividing up the territory of the world", other points still exist and have developed to extremes in every aspect today. After World War II, with the upsurge of socialist movement and national liberation movement, the imperialist colonial system has completely disintegrated, and the phenomenon of occupying the territory of other countries and directly oppressing and exploiting colonial people no longer exists. However, instead, it conquered weak countries by economic, political and even military means, plundered other countries' resources, especially energy, and exploited people in underdeveloped countries. In this respect, the imperialist nature has not changed, but has intensified. As for the other four characteristics, it can be clearly seen from the previous explanations and data that international monopoly capitalism has developed these characteristics to a high degree in scale and depth.
today, monopoly capital has undergone tremendous qualitative changes compared with more than half a century ago.
1. Monopoly is no longer a general monopoly, but a highly concentrated international monopoly; Monopoly organizations are no longer the original "international trusts", but huge multinational companies and subsidiaries with tentacles reaching out to all corners of the world. This kind of giant international monopoly company is the most important economic entity integrating production, trade, investment, finance, technology development, technology transfer and other services in the current world economy, the main carrier of internationalization and globalization of various capital forms including science and technology, and the pillar of the existence and development of capitalism in the stage of international monopoly capitalism. This giant international monopoly organization controls the global technology, capital, production, sales and market through investment socialization, production integration, management informationization and networking, and determines the orientation and order of the whole world economy. At the same time, in order to meet the needs of global development and compete for monopoly position in a wider range, some large multinational companies have also formed various forms of international alliances to strengthen their competitiveness and monopoly position in the global market with the strength of the group.
2. Financial capital plays a decisive role in today's economic globalization. Driven by financial capital, capital and wealth are rapidly concentrated, forming an unprecedented huge consortium, oligarch and tycoon in the world.
When Lenin analyzed monopoly capitalism, he particularly emphasized the high combination of capital and production, the combination of bank capital and production capital and the formation of financial oligarchy. Nowadays, the high concentration of capitalist capital and production is not an individual oligarch, but an oligopoly group and oligopoly economy in the true sense. According to the statistics of the world's 5 largest enterprises published by American Fortune in 1999, the total income of the top 3 enterprises was 2.8242 trillion US dollars, equivalent to 9.7% of the world's GNP in 1998, 2.6% more than the GNP of Britain and France (2.73 trillion US dollars), equivalent to the total GNP of more than 16 low-and middle-income countries in the world (6.2633). According to Businessweek, the market value of the top ten largest enterprises in 1999 was US$ 2.24422 trillion, equivalent to 8.5% of the world gross national product in 1998, and 5.7% higher than that of Germany, which ranked third in the world (US$ 2.1227 trillion). Its profit was US$ 41.95 billion, of which the profit of General Electric Company of the United States alone reached 92.99. The formation of this oligopoly economy is highlighted in the merger and acquisition of giant international monopoly capital, which further expands the scale and improves the degree of monopoly. In 199s, in order to maintain their monopoly position in the international market, some giant international monopoly enterprises in the world merged and merged on a larger scale, forming the fifth tide of enterprise merger and merger in the world. In this tide of merger and acquisition, a giant oligopoly has been formed, and under its control, a worldwide oligopoly economy has been formed. According to the statistical data of Thomson Financial Securities Research Company, the total amount of global enterprise mergers and acquisitions in 199-1995 exceeded 3.131 trillion US dollars, in 1996 it was 1.14 trillion US dollars, in 1997 it was 1.4 trillion US dollars, in 1998 it was as high as 2.49 trillion US dollars, and in 1999 it further rose to 3.73 trillion US dollars, almost equivalent to the sum of 199-1995. From here, we can clearly see the intensification of capital accumulation.
The multinational companies involved in the top ten global mergers in p>1998, That is, American Exxon-American Mobil Company, Citibank-Traveler Group, American Science and Technology Company-Southwest Bell Company, National Bank-American Bank, Bell Atlantic Company-General Telephone and Telecommunication Company, British Petroleum Company-American Amoco Oil Company, American Telephone and Telegraph Company, World Communication Company-American Microwave Company, Daimler Company-Mercedes-Benz Multinational Company-Chrysler Company and British Household Products Company-Monsanto Company are all super giant companies in the world, which involve oil, banking and so on. The market value of these mergers and acquisitions is 1-2 billion dollars, which has caused great sensation in the world. But in January 2, a new merger case happened in the United States, that is, the AOL-time warner Inc. merger case, and its combined market value reached 35 billion dollars. This wave of mergers and acquisitions of giant enterprises in the world is not only fierce and fast, but also extremely large in scale, which highlights the characteristics and trends of the development of international monopoly capital today. At the same time, it also makes international monopoly capital not only more competitive in the industry, but also more monopolized, and its oligopoly position in the international economy is also more consolidated.
due to historical reasons, the oligopoly in the world is not only concentrated in a few developed capitalist countries in the west, but also mainly concentrated in the United States. According to the statistics of the top 1 global giant international monopoly companies published by American Business Weekly, in 1999, there were 494 in the United States. There are 136 in Japan; There are 18 in Britain. There are 866 countries in the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada, accounting for 86.8% of the total. Among the top 1 countries, there are 62 in the United States, accounting for 62%. Among the top 1 countries, there are 8 in the United States, accounting for 8%. In terms of market value, among the 1 markets with a total value of $19.6993 trillion, the United States has $11.273 trillion, accounting for 57.2%; The above-mentioned seven countries together have 17.3838 trillion US dollars, accounting for 78.7%. In 1998, the GNP of the seven western countries was $18.6273 trillion, equivalent to 64.53% of the world's total GNP of $28.8622 trillion. It is equivalent to more than three times the gross national product of more than 16 middle-and low-income countries in the world of 6.1236 trillion US dollars. It is precisely because of the monopolistic and predatory operation of these giant international monopoly capitals in the world that their economic strength and strategic position in the process of globalization have been greatly enhanced.
these facts fully show that the United States is the number one empire composed of these international monopoly oligarchs. The development and rule of these international monopoly oligarchs in the world is the basis of their world oligarchy empire and their hegemonism in the world. On the other hand, the purpose and essence of the United States' hegemonism in the world is to safeguard the interests and rule of these international monopoly oligarchs through the power of the state.
financial capital has played a great role in the rapid formation of giant international monopoly groups and oligarchs and their strong position in the world. There is no doubt that financial capital is a powerful driving force for the emergence and development of international monopoly capitalism, so that some western scholars call contemporary capitalism "financial monopoly capitalism" and think that this concept can best reflect the essential characteristics and development laws of contemporary capitalism, which is very reasonable. Lenin once said: "The characteristic of imperialism is not industrial capital but financial capital", and also said: "Financial capital has created the era of monopoly organizations". It also points out that financial capital is the capital dominated by banks and used by capitalists. The essence of monopoly capitalism is the rule of financial capital and the rule of financial oligarchs. Today's reality is that the internationalization of financial capital and the globalization of market economy, huge transnational capital, giant multinational companies and financial monopoly oligarchs dominate the world economy. It can be said that Lenin's prediction 9 years ago has become a reality today.
3. Capital export has become the main form of the development of international monopoly capitalism
Lenin once pointed out that "capital export is of special significance" when talking about the characteristics of imperialism, which has been clearly demonstrated in the development of international monopoly capital in the past 2 years. Almost all monopoly capitals regard the high internationalization of capital, looking for new favorable investment places abroad and investing heavily, and participating in fierce competition in international capital market, technology market, commodity market and service market as their key and foothold for survival and development, and try their best to put capital into the operation of international capital market in order to pursue maximum value-added and seek huge profits. According to the statistics of World Investment Report 1994, the assets owned by the world's top 1 multinational companies (excluding banks and finance) are 3.4 trillion US dollars, while their 1.3 trillion US dollars are invested outside their own countries. In 1998, the direct investment of transnational corporations accounted for 9% of the world's transnational investment. The capital export led by the direct investment of multinational corporations not only gains high profits from the receiving countries every year, but also strengthens its own economic strength, and also accelerates the concentration of capital and its economic monopoly position in the world.
judging from the characteristics of capital's opening up the world market and the formation of international monopoly capitalism, capitalists are desperately expanding in both the stage of free competition capitalism and monopoly capitalism. The essence of capital is to continuously increase and expand, otherwise it cannot exist. The history of development after the establishment of the capitalist system is a history of constant external expansion and aggression. However, until entering the stage of monopoly capitalism and re-dividing the world, the characteristics of this kind of external expansion are based on military strength and mandatory, that is, capitalist countries use force to open up the world market for capitalists. This kind of expansion is to clear the way with artillery and chariots, turn the expansion object into a colony, and then carry out economic plunder. In the stage of international monopoly capitalism, the most favorable weapon for capital expansion is not cannon, but abundant capital, advanced technology and highly developed productive forces. In the context of globalization of market economy, liberalization of financial trade and opening to the outside world, this weapon without bloody smell is more powerful than any cannon and chariot. At this time, its external expansion is characterized by the monopoly capitalists carrying capital, commodities, technology and management knowledge, and entering the whole world in a peaceful way. Some people call it a typical "economic imperialism". These weapons can not only bring a lot of monopoly profits to capitalists, but also bring certain benefits and benefits to the countries and regions they enter. Therefore, they will generally not encounter resistance, but will be welcomed. At this time, the state still plays a great role in the external expansion of capital, mainly to protect the interests of international monopoly capital in the world. No matter where in the world, as long as the interests of these monopoly capitals are damaged, or there are contradictions and conflicts with countries or regions because of their interests, they will also intervene by force to protect the interests of monopoly capitals and show naked political hegemonism. The combination of state and monopoly capital is internal and essential, but it has different forms of expression at different stages of development. (Author: Institute of Marxism, China Academy of Social Sciences)
(Excerpted from Marxist Studies, No.1, 26, originally titled "Essential Characteristics and Historical Position of International Monopoly Capitalism")