[OPE-L:7919] Re: unequal exchange and poverty in African countries

From: gerald_a_levy (gerald_a_levy@msn.com)
Date: Tue Nov 05 2002 - 16:32:15 EST


Re Alejandro's [7917]:

> I agree with Paul: in general unequal exchange is a misleading discussion. Amin and Emannuel  did several mistakes. By example, Emannuel ignored the tendency to sell  products at similar prices in world markets despite huge differences in productivitys. 

Yet,  Ernest Mandel's perspective on unequal exchange didn't ignore
that tendency, did it?

> I agree with  Paul that this is not unequal exchange or more precisely that it does not imply impoverishment by international trade.  However, the relationship between  impoverishment and international trade is a very important issue. 

On that topic Mandel wrote provocatively that: "*From the Marxist point
of view, i.e. from the standpoint of a consistent labour theory of value,
underdevelopment is ultimately always underemployment, both 
quantitatively (mass unemployment) and qualitatively (low productivity
of labour)*" (_Late Capitalism_,  NLB, 1975, pp. 60-61, emphasis in 
original).  Do you agree or disagree?

In solidarity, Jerry


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