Re: role of Third World governments

----- Original Message -----
From: Richard N Hutchinson  Sent: Friday, December 29, 2000
Subject: Re: role of Third World governments


RNH says:
>
> I skimmed through the G77 proposals, and they are indeed progressive
> (although there is virtually no mention of the environment).
>
> But we are back to the blueprint/plan distinction.  This is a fine list
> of demands, of policy proposals, but how will they be implemented?
....snip>

COMMENT:
Richard,
I am smiling. Thanks! Are you aware of the theoretical importance of your
above statements? You say that the G77 (Third World governments') proposals
are "progressive", all they lack is power of implementation.

Compare that to imperialism theory or 1970s center-periphery theory. I am
using the formulation by Johan Galtung ("Structural Theory of Imperialism"
1972 or thereabouts). In that theory the governments of peripheral and
semi-peripheral countries were seen as nothing but handmaidens of global
capital and thus reactionary. Now, 30 years later, *you* observe that the
governments of the developing countries are making *progressive* proposals
(only lacking power of implementation). I see  an historical change here
(from "handmaiden" to "progressive"). Regarding power of implementation,
think also of Third World governments like China's - China is already the
second largest economy in the world (GDP in PPP terms and has overtaken
Japan as the second largest during the 1990s). China may be moving in a
capitalist direction, but she shows no signs of being a handmaiden of
Euro-American-Japanese capitalism. India has also a strong sense of
independence from the West. I agree with Mansour's observation/speculation
that a second wave of (a kind of) national liberation may have begun during
the 1990s. This wave, if it is one, is propelled by *governments* (of
developing countries). Some of these governments may be acting in response
to pressure from their own people, others -like China, may do so without
popular pressure. Some or all of them, may have received a bit of
consciousness-raising from First World folks like the protestors of Seattle.
Throw in a bit of Andre Gunder Frank (Asia ascendent) and you get a
different view of the Third World's implementation power. Trust me, it's a
multi-level dialectical global totality (or, a MDGT, as a famous wsn'er
called it with a bit of mockery)  :)

Gernot