First world prosperity

[Charles Brown]

There is a historical dimension to the booty
that imperilism has accumulated from its 
colonies. In the case of the U.S. the whole 
country is plunder from the indigenous peoples.
Where would the other 95% of your count
below go if all of the European descendants
had to return to Europe ? In earlier years of
capitalism a lot of wealth was accumulated
from colonies
that is the basis for today's wealth.

Also, in your numbers below, how are profits
made from transnational (yet, U.S. )
capital in located in other countries
counted ? Imperialism has been characterized
by export of capital since the beginning of
the 1900's (Imperialism: The Highest Stage of
Capitalism). The profit from this U.S. capital in other countries
is it counted as wealth in the U.S from other
countries ?  Is it counted as goods and 
services from other countries ? 

The ripoff of the thirdworld is not in
terms of goods and services bought from
the third world, but rather surplus-value
exploited from the third world. In earlier 
years there were a lot of natural
resources plundered. Even today,
is oil extracted by oil transnationals
recorded as goods and services
purchased "by the U.S." ?

Charles Brown

   Detroit

Workers of the West , it's our turn.


>>> Enrique Diaz-Alvarez <enrique at anise.ee.cornell.edu> 08/26 12:04 PM >>>
In this list, the inescapable fact that large majorities of first world
populations enjoy a prosperous lifestyle is sometimes dismissed as the
result of imperialist plunder and exploitation of the third world. This
gives lefties a warm, fuzzy, self-righteous feeling, and it has great
value for that reason alone.

However, US imports of goods and services from the rest of the world
amount to, what, 12% of national income. Most of this trade is with the
first world. Since I am too lazy to go look up exact numbers, I'll say
that imports in goods and services from the third world amount to 5% of
national income.

Doesn't this place a rough upper bound of 5% in the amount of US
prosperity that can be explained away as imperialist plunder?

Of course, this upper bound assumes that those nations get nothing in
return for those goods and services they send our way. Now, a lot of our
exports to the third world may be in the form of F-16 and financial
consultants, but I am sure that a few Volvo trucks and Caterpillar
excavators wind up there as well. So this 5% would be further reduced.

Am I missing something?

-- 
Enrique Diaz-Alvarez            Office # (607) 255 5034	
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