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"Globalization," surely one of the most used and abused buzzwords
of recent decades, describes a phenomenon that is typically
considered to be a neutral and inevitable expansion of market
forces across the planet. Nearly all economists, politicians,
business leaders, and mainstream journalists view globalization as
the natural result of economic development, and a beneficial one at
that. But, as noted economist Martin Hart-Landsberg argues, this
perception does not match the reality of globalization. The rise of
transnational corporations and their global production chains was
the result of intentional and political acts, decisions made at the
highest levels of power. Their aim - to increase profits by seeking
the cheapest sources of labor and raw materials - was facilitated
through policy-making at the national and international levels, and
was largely successful. But workers in every nation have paid the
costs, in the form of increased inequality and poverty, the
destruction of social welfare provisions and labor unions, and an
erratic global economy prone to bubbles, busts, and crises. This
book examines the historical record of globalization and restores
agency to the capitalists, policy-makers, and politicians who
worked to craft a regime of world-wide exploitation. It demolishes
their neoliberal ideology - already on shaky ground after the 2008
financial crisis - and picks apart the record of trade agreements
like NAFTA and institutions like the WTO. But, crucially, Hart-
Landsberg also discusses alternatives to capitalist globalization,
looking to examples such as South America's Bolivarian Alliance for
the Americas (ALBA) for clues on how to build an international
economy based on solidarity, social development, and shared
prosperity.
This volume brings together work by international scholars to
provide a unique analysis of the past, present and possible future
trajectory of Korea's political economy from a distinctly Marxist
perspective. The volume differentiates the Marxian approach to the
political economy of Korean development from the Keynesian, social
democratic approach that currently dominates the critical
literature. In doing so the volume provides a unique view of the
development of the South Korean Economy.
This volume brings together work by international scholars to
provide a unique analysis of the past, present and possible future
trajectory of Korea's political economy from a distinctly Marxist
perspective. The volume differentiates the Marxian approach to the
political economy of Korean development from the Keynesian, social
democratic approach that currently dominates the critical
literature. In doing so the volume provides a unique view of the
development of the South Korean Economy.
An introduction to the causes and consequences of the Korean War,
this history seeks to challenge presumptions about Korea favoured
by American politicians and network news pundits. Through a
judicious survey of the historical record, Martin Hart-Landsberg
demonstrates that the basic aim of U.S. foreign policy in Korea
from the outset has been regional control - not democracy, despite
Washington's claims. Reconstructing the long pattern of Korean
struggles for national unity and independence from foreign
domination, he shows that the division of the country into hostile
states after World War II produced an "imaginary line" contrary to
the interests and desires of a majority of Koreans. He examines the
post-war history of North and South Korea, showing how Cold War
foreign policy and division undermined valuable efforts at social
change on both sides of the 38th parallel. Reunification, he
concludes, is the optimal solution for Korea, so long as it
transpires on a democratic and egalitarian basis, with
participation by popular social movements.
An introduction to the causes and consequences of the Korean War,
this history seeks to challenge presumptions about Korea favoured
by American politicians and network news pundits. Through a
judicious survey of the historical record, Martin Hart-Landsberg
demonstrates that the basic aim of U.S. foreign policy in Korea
from the outset has been regional control - not democracy, despite
Washington's claims. Reconstructing the long pattern of Korean
struggles for national unity and independence from foreign
domination, he shows that the division of the country into hostile
states after World War II produced an "imaginary line" contrary to
the interests and desires of a majority of Koreans. He examines the
post-war history of North and South Korea, showing how Cold War
foreign policy and division undermined valuable efforts at social
change on both sides of the 38th parallel. Reunification, he
concludes, is the optimal solution for Korea, so long as it
transpires on a democratic and egalitarian basis, with
participation by popular social movements.
China is the fastest-growing economy in the world today. For many
on the left, the Chinese economy seems to provide an alternative
model of development to that of neoliberal globalization. Although
it is a disputed question whether the Chinese economy can be still
described as socialist, there is no doubting the importance for the
global project of socialism of accurately interpreting and soberly
assessing its real prospects.
China and Socialism argues that market reforms in China are
leading inexorably toward a capitalist and foreign-dominated
development path, with enormous social and politcal costs, both
domestically and internationally. The rapid economic growth that
accompanied these market reforms have not been due to efficiency
gains, but rather to deliberate erosion of the infrastructure that
made possible a remarkable degree of equality. The transition to
the market has been based on rising unemployment, intensified
exploitation, declining health and education services, exploding
government debt, and unstable prices.
At the same time, China's economic transformation has
intensified the contradictions of capitalist development in other
countries, especially in East Asia. Far from being a model that is
replicable in other Third World countries, China today is a
reminder of the need for socialism to be built from the grassroots
up, through class struggle and international solidarity.
China is the fastest-growing economy in the world today. For
many on the left, the Chinese economy seems to provide an
alternative model of development to that of neoliberal
globalization. Although it is a disputed question whether the
Chinese economy can be still described as socialist, there is no
doubting the importance for the global project of socialism of
accurately interpreting and soberly assessing its real
prospects.
China and Socialism argues that market reforms in China are
leading inexorably toward a capitalist and foreign-dominated
development path, with enormous social and politcal costs, both
domestically and internationally. The rapid economic growth that
accompanied these market reforms have not been due to efficiency
gains, but rather to deliberate erosion of the infrastructure that
made possible a remarkable degree of equality. The transition to
the market has been based on rising unemployment, intensified
exploitation, declining health and education services, exploding
government debt, and unstable prices.
At the same time, China's economic transformation has
intensified the contradictions of capitalist development in other
countries, especially in East Asia. Far from being a model that is
replicable in other Third World countries, China today is a
reminder of the need for socialism to be built from the grassroots
up, through class struggle and international solidarity.
"Globalization," surely one of the most used and abused buzzwords
of recent decades, describes a phenomenon that is typically
considered to be a neutral and inevitable expansion of market
forces across the planet. Nearly all economists, politicians,
business leaders, and mainstream journalists view globalization as
the natural result of economic development, and a beneficial one at
that. But, as noted economist Martin Hart-Landsberg argues, this
perception does not match the reality of globalization. The rise of
transnational corporations and their global production chains was
the result of intentional and political acts, decisions made at the
highest levels of power. Their aim - to increase profits by seeking
the cheapest sources of labor and raw materials - was facilitated
through policy-making at the national and international levels, and
was largely successful. But workers in every nation have paid the
costs, in the form of increased inequality and poverty, the
destruction of social welfare provisions and labor unions, and an
erratic global economy prone to bubbles, busts, and crises. This
book examines the historical record of globalization and restores
agency to the capitalists, policy-makers, and politicians who
worked to craft a regime of world-wide exploitation. It demolishes
their neoliberal ideology - already on shaky ground after the 2008
financial crisis - and picks apart the record of trade agreements
like NAFTA and institutions like the WTO. But, crucially, Hart-
Landsberg also discusses alternatives to capitalist globalization,
looking to examples such as South America's Bolivarian Alliance for
the Americas (ALBA) for clues on how to build an international
economy based on solidarity, social development, and shared
prosperity.
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