>They're net exporters of capital, they're arms markets, they're
>dumping grounds, they're sources of cheap labor and raw materials;
>they give the military practice opportunities.
These are all true, but how important are they to profit-making in general? Total debt service was around $380 billion in 2001 (latest year availailable) - that compares to about $40-50 trillion total world product, $10-11 trillion U.S. alone.
Doug