2. I note that one of the dysfunctions of European capitalism is flagging demand. The move to an increased level of armament, if true, is a classic capitalist response. We (NATO members) can't agree on public works, but we can agree on planes. But note that these kinds of development programs are integrally related to electronics, aviation generally, and so on. Many other "benefits" from the point of view of corporations. And finally, let us remember that the size of the domestic market is integrally related to the pricing of exports, which is a big deal worldwide. The more you export the cheaper your domestic armaments. The more arms you purchase domestically the more competitively you can price your arms exports. Something to investigate here.
3. Part of the reason for Italy's 1939 invasion of Albania was to break British Petroleum's hold on its oil. There's a footnote in my book somewhere on this, maybe I should look it up. In any case I see further from an old source that Albania produce 17 million barrels of oil in 1977. That's chickenshit production, but if, as with the Caspian, modern prospecting techniques have found more recoverable oil reserves or oil reserves that were below the prospecting and development capabilities of Albanian/Russian/Chinese technologies (not hard to be better than those), it would be an extremely interesting twist to our picture of the region. I have no other information.
-- Gregory P. Nowell Associate Professor Department of Political Science, Milne 100 State University of New York 135 Western Ave. Albany, New York 12222
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