The latest book by this prolific and critical Marxist writer considers the issue of economic development across the Global South.
This is a vital issue for socialists. To what extent do we need to work for economic development? Or have we already had significant economic development and is the key issue now how to strengthen the labour movement to achieve significant re-distribution of wealth from the rich minority to the poor majority?
The development the model pushed by the IMF, World Bank and aid agencies – the evolution of economies of the global south to follow the path of Europe and North America – has actually increased inequality both between and within nations. It has provided almost no benefit for the mass of the populations of the Global South, at least in the last three decades.
This book considers Marxist writers on development from Marx himself on prospects for development in Russia, Lenin on imperialism at its height, Rosa Luxemburg and contemporary theories and critiques of development. The world has changed over the last 100 and 50 years. We can learn from former Marxist writers, but we have to develop an understanding of the world as it currently exists in order to change it.
This is not an introductory text (see: https://tinyurl.com/2nvf9saw), but does provide a comprehensive summary of the ideas of many leading Marxists. It will be helpful for many socialists in Nigeria to consider alternatives views of development in the past so that we can better understand our current world and the relationship between development, imperialism and the well-being of the popular classes.
Rethinking Development Marxist Perspectives by Ronaldo Munck (z-lib.org)
