Why is this "off the rails?" Probably not a direct "imperialist" rival in terms of military power or direct confrontation, but I think the differences between Washington and the Berlin-Paris axis concerning the war in Iraq were more than just a minor schism. This is obscured somewhat now that Merkel is chancellor, but I don't think this has disappeared from the stage permanently.
Incidentally, one day I would like to post a translation of an article by Michael Heinrich outlining the problem with "imperialism" as a concept, at least as far as the original Leninist usage of the term goes, which is based upon a false, historicist understanding of the first volume of Capital.
^^^^^ CB: Yes , do that ! We can have a real donniebrook on that one.
^^^^^
I realize "imperialist" is used in more everyday left circles as a synonym for "militarist," but I think this is even more a reason to criticize it, and not just regard it as historically superseded, like Hardt & Negri do. The question is actually whether the "theory of imperialism" was ever correct in the first place.
^^^^^ CB: Yes. Certainly , the world has changed, but the way it is now is best understood as a derivative of how it was then, so the validity of the imperialism thesis is still an important issue.