SUMMER 2025

The Political Economy of Imperialism

A Short Course

We are living in a moment of deepening crisis, marked by seemingly endless wars, accelerating climate catastrophe, and rising inequality. As the United States continues to drive humanity and the planet toward greater destruction, the need for revolutionary analysis is more urgent than ever. 

Over a century ago, in the midst of World War I, Lenin exposed how war, financial domination, and global exploitation are not exceptions but core features of the imperialist system. That system, though it has developed and changed, still defines the world we live in today.

This four-part series will take up Lenin’s analysis as a foundation for understanding imperialism, not simply as a set of foreign policies, but as a system of domination and exploitation imposed on the nations of the world. Our goal is not just to understand the system but to equip ourselves with the theory and clarity needed to build an anti-imperialist movement capable of confronting and transforming it.

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  • This is a course for all  who are seeking a deeper study of imperialism and political economy in order to better inform their organizing work.  Each of the four sessions will build on the last, and we ask that participants commit to the full course or use the materials provided to stay caught up if they miss a session.

  • This four-session course is designed to equip participants with foundational tools to understand and confront imperialism. Through a close study of V.I. Lenin’s Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism, we will connect Lenin’s historical analysis to the contemporary political and economic realities and manifestations of U.S. imperialism in order to strengthen our anti-imperialist organizing today. Each session will combine a lecture from Manu Karuka with small group discussions to deepen understanding and collective analysis

  • This is a 4 session course running from June 3 to June 12, with classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week, from 6:30 – 8:30 PM ET. This is a hybrid course that allows participation from anywhere worldwide. 

    • For those in the New York area, in-person classes are held at The People’s Forum, 320 W 37th Street, New York, NY 10018. 

    • For participants who will be attending virtually, a zoom link will be sent prior to each session.

    • Participants with work/life schedules or based in time zones that preclude them from participating live will have access to the recordings and can follow the course at their own pace.