Thanks to Tim Perttula's insistence and effort, you now receive the
previous message with a correct date. The issues remain, regardless of the
fact, whether or not the message was dated 1993, and not 1997, don't they?
Kind regards
Yours
Arno Tausch
----------
> From: Arno Tausch <austria@it.com.pl>
> To: <wsn@csf.colorado.edu>
> Subject: Theory of decay or development?
> Date: Montag, 26. Juli 1993 23:09
>
> Arno Tausch
> Ass. Prof. of Political Science
> Innsbruck University
> Austria
>
> Labour Att., Austrian Embassy, Warsaw
>
>
> Dear friends,
>
>
> the exchange on development theory starts to be interesting. Let me
rapidly
> intervene with the following points
>
> 1) in all seriousness, we should start to construct a theory of decay in
> view of the horrific environmental changes that go on on our globe. The
> effects of global warming, marine pollution etc. are so obvious (less
> obvious to many governments around the world) that - in a word - not
> development, but the past of planet Mars seems to be our future.
> Recommended macroquantitative research strategy: we should integrate much
> more indicators like deforestation etc. into our universe.
>
> 2) decay, instead of development, should be also on our priority agenda,
> because 'normal' capitalism (whatever that means) is slowly substituted
by
> robber capitalism, the underworld, organized crime. Just think about the
> 500 to 800 thousand millions of Dollars in the world-wide profits from
the
> narcotics trade. Recommended macroquantitative research strategy: we
should
> follow much more closely imbalances between current accounts and
> international reserves, we should take the "crime section" of good
> international newspapers like the NY Times etc. more seriously. In
> addition: http://dialogselect.krinfo.com
>
> 3) decay should be also on our agenda, because in a territorial sense,
> capitalism more and more destroys, even in the developed zones of the
> earth, family-based agriculture that works and in a way cares for the
> surface of 80% or more of countries like France or Germany. What
capitalism
> has done to agriculture in the Third World, is all too well known from
the
> days of Mariategui onwards. Recommended: let's go for texts from Ernest
> Feder etc. to deepen our understanding, relevant for the territorial view
> of the problems of our tormented globe
>
> 4) decay characterizes also the social systems in terms of rising crime
> rates, de-personalization, rising suicide statistics etc., especially in
> the urban areas. The UNDP over the years provided us with abundant
> statistics on these subjects. If we continue to talk about development in
> view of megacities like Kairo, Mumbai, Lagos, Calcutta, we are - pardon
me
> - fools
>
> 5) decay is also a world political phenomenon, since after the end of
> "global hegemony", the world is now tending slowly towards a renewal of
the
> de-legitimation, deconcentration etc. cycle, low intensity to medium
> intensity conflict will increase
>
> 6) I fully agree with the long-term perspectives of "Rise and Demise".
> Parallels between Ancient Rome and the developed centers are indeed an
> interesting subject for future research
>
> 7) personally, I'd be interested in your own thoughts on the particular
> issue of migration and the future of world capitalism
>
>
> Kind regards
>
> Yours
> Arno Tausch
>
>
>