imperialism and globalization

In the post-Soviet world, the U.S. has been able to pursue its imperial ambitions both in the former Soviet and eastern European territories and throughout the rest of the world where Soviet opposition could have been expected to place some limitation on them. The goals, as always, remain cheap raw materials--including fossil fuels--cheap labor, and access to markets where goods and services may be sold under a regime of free trade. The system is backed by the daily workings of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Trade Organization as well as military might for the discipline of recalcitrant states. Armenia is very much part of the new imperial order and has received ample praise from the World Bank and the IMF for its rapid 'liberalization' of agriculture and industry, and its fiscal policies. The transformation of Armenia's economy has left much of its population in poverty in conjunction with a small wealthy elite. Armenia has also been opened up as a market for all kinds of U.S. goods ranging from high technology to TV programming, processed foods, and even candy. A progressive, leftist analysis can elucidate these trends and critique the ideologies underpinning them.