Re: Critique of World-System Ideology (1) - Comparative Exploitation

Indeed I agree with the notion that comparative advantage is not
the ideology of world-system but an ideology of neo-liberalism,
or the so-called the "Washington consensus." Like most ideologies,
the notion of comparative advantage is "false" representation
of reality. It fails to account for what actually happened in the
global capitalism during the last fifty years or so. 
Perhaps more accurate view is "competitive advantage" in which
international political relationships and the ability to
innovate in institutional and technological areas put some areas
of the world over the others in terms of the productive outcome
and market penetration. 


Quee-Young   Kim
Department of Sociology
University of Wyoming
kim@uwyo.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Dassbach [mailto:dassbach@mtu.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 11:08 AM
To: g kohler; wsn@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: Critique of World-System Ideology (1) - Comparative
Exploitation


Well stated in the article.  Its about time someone brought this up.

But I would not call comparative advantage a world-system ideology.  If
anything "world-system" as a set of ideas about the functioning of the world
economy is critical of comparative advantage.  Comparative advantage is an
ideology of globalization or a neo-liberalism.


----- Original Message -----
From: "g kohler" <kohlerg@3web.net>
To: <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 11:29 AM
Subject: Critique of World-System Ideology (1) - Comparative Exploitation


> Critique of World-System Ideology (1) - Comparative Advantage as
Comparative
> Exploitation
>
> Certain ideologies serve to maintain a world-system in a particular
> configuration. A centerpiece of contemporary world-system ideology is the
> doctrine of comparative advantage, which is central in the doctrine of
free
> trade. This article takes a textbook example of comparative advantage and
> stands it on its head. Full text online at:
> http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/EA29Dj02.html
>
> Gernot Köhler
>
>