Re: [OPE] "Currency wars"?

> A classical example of inter-imperialist competition (and it proves how
> ridiculous it is to categorize Brazil as anyone's colony in this day and
> age).

 
Hi Paula:
 
It proves nothing of the sort - except what the whole world has known
since 1825 - namely, that Brazil is not a colony is the strict sense of the
term. OF COURSE, independent states have the ability to determine their own
economic policies - *within limits* imposed by the nature of capitalism as an
international system and that of foreign states and their proxies (such
as the IMF, the WB, the WTO, and the UN). Certainly, sovereign states have strategic
options that people from that area wouldn't have had if colonialism hadn't
been abolished. But this doesn't make them imperialist states! And it doesn't
mean that most of the economic relationships characteristic of colonialism,
including patterns of wealth and ownership, didn't persist in the post-colonial
- and contemporary - period.
 
You have suggested elsewhere that all independent nations are imperialist. I
will say, in response (as I said before) that if all nations are imperialist
then imperialism no longer has any meaning.
 
I think the people of Brazil - and nearby countries including Argentina,
Chile, Venezuela (and, for that matter, ALL nations on the continent) - are
very aware that much of the wealth and control over decision-making
concerning their countries' economies, is controlled elsewhere. They may have
political independence, but dominance in terms of economic relations remains.
Indeed, it is precisely for this reason that you see the beginnings of a
customs union in Latin America (Mercosur), which Brazil, btw, belongs to.
 
"As long as imperialism exists it will, by definition, exert its dominance
over other countries. Today that domination is called neocolonialism" -
Che Guevara.
 
I think Guevara had it right and nothing *essentially* has changed since
this was said (1965) to believe that the patterns of economic domination
have ended. Surely, the forms in which that domination manifests
itself have periodically changed, but the domination persists - despite
the claims of those who argue in favor of 'globalization'.
 
In solidarity, Jerry
_______________________________________________
ope mailing list
ope@lists.csuchico.edu
https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/ope
Received on Fri Jan 7 21:55:09 2011