This week we looked at Lenin’s Imperialism as the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Students understood the argument and were able to connect it to our earlier readings of Marx and Smith, which was gratifying. Some of the students were sympathetic to Lenin’s diagnosis but were skeptical about his solutions, which is always refreshing. As we approach the end of the semester, my sense is that the students are finally able to make the connections from the earlier readings. This raises the question whether the semester system should be banished entirely and replaced with a nine-month term. This would enable students to understood the material in a more thorough and systematic fashion. I wonder what others think about this proposal.