How important is nationalism to capitalists?

[Blanquist]

One example is an American billionaire, Jim Rogers. He started that fund with Soros and became very rich. He continues as a major speculator.

He thinks that China is the next world power and recommends all parents teach their children Chinese as it will be the most important language of the 21st century.

He himself lives in Singapore, he doesn't really care about the US as a major power, he supports the right of people to live and work wherever they please.

My point is, while he made his money in America, he really doesn't depend on American capitalism for anything, he can live wherever in the world he wants and can take his money anywhere he wants.

America invaded Iraq in part for the US oil companies to make some money, but now that companies are so global in nature, does it really matter?

[Jimmie Higgins]

State power is essential for capitalism and therefore to capitalists. Sure, individual capitalists and even companies and industries "get around" laws of states and national borders and live where ever they want - probably multiple locations throughout the world; but Ironically it's state power, specifically the post-WWII US system in recent history, which allows them to have access to all these markets, resources, and so on.

It's the dominance of the US state and US imperialism that gives capitalists the confidence and ability to go anywhere and dictate the terms they want. You want to nationalize our oil field, our natural gas extraction facilities... well, then we'll use the state to undermine these reforms up to the point of coups and a Pinochet of your very own!

As for Iraq, the US didn't go to war directly FOR US oil companies IMO. They went there to, in their words, lay the ground-work for "the second American Century". In other words to ensure that US imperial hegemony is preserved at a time when China is becoming economically more dominant but the US still runs the world. Since the US market gets most of it's fuel from the US, Canada and Latin America, controlling the middle East is much more about remaining a gate-keeper for access to oil for China, Russia and even Europe. At the same time the US military set up AfriCom which is basically and organization to make sure that as Africa develops, US interests will be the first order of the day and China can't go around the US to set up their own deals.

Induvusdal capitalists can live wherever they want and they aren't nationalist in the sense of pride or personal identity like our society tries to instill in workers. But the state isn't the tool of one capitalist or even one industry, it's a meeting place for the general needs of capitalism to be ironed out for the "greater-good" of the system itself.