Re: [Marxism] re: The Duality of Marxism: is capitalism totalizing or inhibiting?

["Yoshie Furuhashi" <critical.montages@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 6/22/06, M. Junaid Alam <alam1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> But I seriously do not think this is the case. As I noted before, world
> capitalism cannot  - and above all cannot be considered by Marxists -
> to be at one and the same time be a totalizing force and a stultifying
> force.

There is no contradiction there, as you recognize yourself: capitalism
is a totalizing force that develops some (classes, nations, etc.) by
destroying others (classes, nations, etc.).

You can't blame all maldevelopment and underdevelopment on capitalism
and imperialism, though.  The domestic balance of social forces, the
quality of local leadership, etc. make a lot of difference.  Whatever
the Chinese Communist Party didn't do, it cannot be denied that it has
educated both men _and women_ and dramatically lowered _women's
fertility rate_, and that's the most important foundation of social
and economic development, be it capitalist or socialist or of any
other kind.  No country can develop while many women are illiterate
and getting pregnant all the time.

> Because the leadership in China and India are
> clearly nationalistic, and capitalist. So what is the real dynamic of
> capitalism? Will a few nations join the imperialist club and exploit in
> common the poorer ones? Will the ascending nations come to blows with
> established ones in asserting hegemony?

China and India won't develop to the point that their median living
standards will rival the richest countries' in this business cycle nor
will they in the next.  They won't come to blows with the US, the EU,
and/or Japan either -- the former's recent capitalist development
largely depends on the latter's markets and in India's case also on
investments from the latter, too.

If Beijing truly acts in China's national interest, though, it will do
all it can to prevent Washington from making truly destructive moves
on Iran and North Korea.  Whether it will is a good question.  Are the
Chinese power elite really nationalistic or are they more interested
in working with Washington even at the cost of sacrificing China's
interest?

--
Yoshie
<http://montages.blogspot.com/>
<http://mrzine.org>
<http://monthlyreview.org/>

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