The UAE serves as a key facilitator of American militarism and global capitalist exploitation
Source: Stefan Bakumenko. "The UAE Is a Cornerstone of Coercive Capitalism." March 10, 2026. jacobin.com
The Gist
The author argues that the UAE has become a crucial partner in America's global military operations and capitalist exploitation. The UAE helps America project military power while also serving as a hub for money laundering and modern slavery, all to protect its own authoritarian rulers.
Conclusion
The UAE is a cornerstone of coercive capitalism that enables American imperialism and global exploitation through military partnerships, financial facilitation, and labor exploitation
Premises
- The UAE has strategically made itself indispensable to the American military-industrial complex through hosting bases, joint operations, and weapons purchases
- The UAE's economy is built on modern slavery through the kafala system that exploits millions of migrant workers
- The UAE serves as a global money laundering hub for criminals, oligarchs, and corrupt actors while facing minimal consequences
- Emirati rulers use military partnerships and economic facilitation to protect their authoritarian monarchy from both external threats and domestic opposition
- The UAE's free trade zones and lax regulations create a haven for illicit financial flows that rob societies worldwide
- The recent US designation of UAE as a major defense partner demonstrates the deepening of this exploitative alliance
Assumptions
- The American military-industrial complex represents a form of imperialism that should be opposed
- The kafala system constitutes modern slavery rather than legitimate labor arrangements
- Money laundering and financial secrecy are inherently harmful to global justice
- Authoritarian monarchies are illegitimate forms of government
- Military partnerships between the US and Gulf monarchies primarily serve exploitative rather than defensive purposes