Social networks at service of capital's imperialism and the United States

Abstract

Capitalism demands a world system, as it needs a large scale to function, and social networks are an important instrument for its expansion. The issue could be seen as merely commercial were it not for the fact that all dominant companies in this segment are American and the US is the main representative of capitalism and eternal candidate for world empire. At that point, things get mixed up. These platforms were created for social interaction, however, they also provide information sharing. What's more: they make it possible for anyone to create and publish content. Publishing content does not imply stating that truths are published. “Whoever has information has power”, is the old saying. In the modern world, power lies in disinformation. And disinformation has eroded democracies. Fake news is the most effective resource to polarize society in order to disturb it at different levels, in different spheres, predisposing it to conflicts. The rise of the far-right around the world, for example, is the result of the densification of these groups on social networks. And “the right wings”, extreme or moderate, are frankly capitalist, defenders of income concentration, exploitation of the labor force, and irresponsible extraction of natural resources.