Carrol Cox wrote:
If one 'takes a view from space' as it were, this looks quite different. Such a view has no knowledge of the existence of dollars or euros or yen or debt etc. It only sees the movement of physical objects. Viewed from space, therefore, the main objects of exploitation of u.s. imperialism (the main sources of tribute) are those nations with the most favorable "balance of trade" with the u.s. I don't remember just now which nations that is, but I believe Japan and China are high on the list, which makes them a key part (i.e., objects of exploitation) of the u.s. empire. They are both paying tribute to the u.s. I would assume this flow of tribute would continue unabated as long as the u.s. maintains global military supremacy.
Abstracting from money is a weirdly neoclassical view. Usually a country paying tribute is the one that's in debt, no? Are you just unwilling to see any weakness in U.S. power?
But this raises another question. How is this tribute distributed _within_ the u.s.?
It's what allows the U.S. middle class (a verboten phrase in your lexicon, I know) to live beyond its means, among other things.
Doug
