Reflections on imperialism and resistance
Content
Preface 7
Introduction: Why this Book? 13
Part One: the history of imperialism, a personal perspective
- The Emergence of a Divided World 29
- Nationalism and Internationalism 95
- Anti-Imperialism During the Cold War 149
- The Golden Age of Imperialism Theory 191
Part Two: globalized capitalism
- Neoliberal Globalization 223
- Unequal Exchange Revisited 263
- The Global Class Divide 287
Part Three: politics in a divided world
- A Window for Radical Change 321
- The Trade Union Movement 331
- Communist Parties and Social Movements 355
- Practice 393
- Visions and Strategies 431
Appendices
I. Introduction to the Marxist Theory of Value 455
II. Power 473
Bibliography 489
Figures
- Index of Real Wages in England, 1850-1905 54
- The Global Industrial Workforce, 1950-2010 233
- The Global Workforce and the Global Reserve Army 238
- Ihe Level and Composition of Global Inequality in 1870 and 2000 (Gini Decomposition) 261
- How Wage Levels Influence Value and Price Formation in the Global Economy 265
- US Real Clothing Imports and an Index of the Relative Price of Clothing, 1958-2002 280
- Pension Coverage by Region 2012 296
- The Development of a Revolutionary Situation 394
- The Circulation of Capital 460
Tables
I. Britain’s Imperial Revenues, 1867-1908 56
II. Key Market Labour Characteristics and ITUC Representation 337
III. Influence of Organic Composition on the Profit Rate 462
IV. Creation of Average Rate of Profit 464
V. l-2. Ihe Consequence of Unequal Exchange on Price of Production 466
List of Abbreviations
| AFL-CIO | American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations |
| ANC | African National Congress |
| COSATU | Congress of South African Trade Unions Communist Party of China |
| CPC | Communist Party of Chin |
| DKP | Danish Communist Party |
| EZLN | Ejército Zapatista de Liberation National (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) |
| GDP | Gross domestic product |
| ILO | International Labour Organization |
| IMF | International Monetary Fund |
| ITUC | International Trade Union Confederation |
| KUF | Kommunistisk Ungdomsforbund (Communist Youth League) |
| KAK | Kommunistisk Arbejdskreds (Communist Working Circle) |
| LAI | League Against Imperialism |
| LSM | Liberation Support Movement |
| M-KA | Manifest-Kommunistisk Arbejdsgruppe (Manifest-Communist Working Group) |
| MPLA | Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola) |
| NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement |
| NUMSA | National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa |
| OECD | Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development |
| OPEC | Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries |
| PFLP | Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine |
| SEWA | Self-Employed Women’s Association |
| SFIO | Section Frangaise de I’lnternationale Ouvriére (French Section of the Workers’ International) |
| SPD | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
| TTA | Tøj til Afrika (Clothes for Africa) |
| WSF | World Social Forum |
| WTO | World Trade Organization |
The text on the cover
Political Science / Globalization
“The central concerns of Lauesen’s book are the misery of the global masses and the global class structures that keep that misery in place, as well as the question: What can be done about it?” Gernot Kohler, author of The Global Wage System: A Study of International Wage Differences and Global Economics: An Introductory Course.
“There are autobiographies by radicals and there are analyses of imperialism. If you want both in one, this book is for you.” Klaus Viehmann, author of Prison Round Trip.
“With The Global Perspective, Torkil Lauesen is re-vitalizing important discussions on the radical left. The book offers important insights and analytical tools with which to study contemporary political and economic changes, something that is equally important for political activists and academics alike. By incorporating unequal exchange into the study of political economy, Lauesen conveys a strong case for a global perspective.” Rasmus Alex Wendt, author of TRIPs in India: An analysis of the impact of global governance on political processes in India.
“The Global Perspective is a crucial contribution to the study of imperialism and antiimperialism, revealing that the political, economic, and military legacy of European colonial intervention remains stronger than ever. Drawing on essential classical and modern theoretical approaches, this work by Torkil Lauesen has produced a comprehensive and highly accessible contribution to understanding the history, theory, and nature of imperialism for those of us searching for a practice of resistance. As research and academic study of imperialism returns to center stage, Lauesen vividly reveals how it maintains and increases living standards in the Global North as it grinds down 85 percent of all humanity in the Global South.” Immanuel Ness, author of Southern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class.
“Alongside his whirlwind tour of anti-imperialist political economy and the current structure of global capitalism, Lauesen delivers a necessary shit-kicking to those works of political economy—both neoliberal and pseudo-radical—that have festered in the open wound of the so-called ‘end of history.’” J. Moufawad-Paul, author of The Communist Necessity, Continuity and Rupture, and Austerity Apparatus.
Om forfatteren / About the Writer
Aktivist og forfatter, Medlem at Internationalt Forum.
