>These and other facts themselves need an explanation. The question
>is why the relationships between the North America, Europe and Japan
>are not based on "liberty, equality and Bentham." The capitalist
>system, unlike the pre-capitalist ones, doesn't require direct and
>immediate use of coercion.
No need to coerce Level Two (Canada, Western Europe, Japan, Australia): they get a pretty good deal. High standard of living, low military bills. Of course they can't run their own foreign policies, but that's a small price to pay. It is funny to sit in Toronto, a prosperous and comfortable city, and hear Leo Panitch talk about Canada's subordinate role. Canadian oppression is not visible to the naked American eye; maybe there are some subtleties that Canadians can see that I miss.
Doug