Rod Hay wrote: > > But the question is how dependent was the development of capitalism on the > exploitation of the peripheral countries. I think you pose the question in a misleading way. Development of capitalism where? The question should be; why has capitalism resulted in polarisation rather than convergence in the world economy and why have some countries and areas within some countries failed to achieve parity with the core countries. The answer, I think, begins with the Mercantilist idea that one nations gains from trade are another nation's loss. Capitalism has always resulted in polarisation and the world continues to polarise between a minority of rich countries and the rest. The key is understanding the mechanisms by which this polarisation occurs and most importantly how to rectify the situation. Sam Pawlett
