SALO, JUN REX V.

POLSCI 63
GEOPOLITICS

ASPOLSCI 4

OBSOLESCENT CAPITALISM: CONTEMPORARY POLITICS AND GLOBAL

DISORDER

Part I.

Decades of conflict between the West and East or the war for ideologies like
Capitalism and Communism had shaped the world agenda and greatly influenced the
actions of these countries involved concerning primarily political and military activities.
Through time, the discipline of geoeconomics is now gradually replacing the centrality of
geopolitics after the end of the Cold War era wherein reducing the importance of military
power and the logic of commerce would be possibly govern the world affairs. In a
contemporary system, the evolutionary transition of new critical conducts in world politics
now highly affected by this what we called Globalization. Unlike before, the strict
determination of the sovereignty of a nation state is definitely on the basis of the
boundaries and a resistant action may be taken against any external influence or conduct
once entered into the territorial borders. But by this new trend of social relation,
globalization, a far more different from traditional perspective which gives a greater
emphasis on the territorial margins, is a process in which the integration and exchange
of economic, social and cultural aspect of people beyond the national boundaries.
According to Sir Francis Fukuyama, the collapse of the Soviets counteractions to United
States is also the end of the history, hence, the latter is considerably branded as the victor
of history. Consequently, Sir Fukuyamas assumption that the declining appeal of Soviets
ideology would let the capitalistic thinking spread throughout the regions. There are some
issues now arising out of the changing nature of capitalism and been refuted by some
radical thinkers, like Sir Samir Amin, the positivity of the capitalism. Sir Samir Amin, a
world-known economist, was born in Egypt in 1913 and pursued his higher education in
Paris taking the fields of politics, statistics and economics. In his work, he explains the
reason of corrupt situation of the modern economy that affects the living condition of the
many. The discourse of the capitalism, supposed to grant a global prosperity, peace and
democracy, by its practice, worsen the existing crisis of accumulation and aggravated the
social condition especially on the part of the working class the most exploited member of
the society. With this, the above-mentioned economic system now starting to become an
obsolete one created by the inherent contradictions within the system. Accordingly,
theres no way out of the crisis but the only way to get out from the disorder is to move
out from capitalism, the abandonment of its practice and instead, the long transition of its
alternative, the only solution to the problem is socialism. Which is believed to be the only
key to stop the monopoly of the economic system by the oligopolies or by putting an end
to the collective imperialism with their exclusive control over the many, those peripheries
in particular.
Part II.

Intellectual" reflection
(in relation to
Important points/ Concrete examples/ transition) showing
thesis raised by the evidences of his thesis 1. if u agree or disagree
author with the author;
2. Facts to support your
case

The polarization produced The formal opposition The globalization does

by the globalization of between industrial and widens the gap of the
capitalism constantly widens non-industrial countries in developed and
the gap between the centres which the latter couldnt developing countries. The
and the peripheries. able to catch up with those developed country would
who are ahead since the seek their national interest
former played an active by extracting the available
role by exporting capital to resources from the
the peripheries and developing countries.
shaping an asymmetrical --Latin American
development that may economies were more
correctly be described as unequal relative to other
dependent or uneven developing regions. Thus
these export made it increased inequality in the
possible to extract a region was coupled with
surplus from the exploited rising poverty. Economic
surplus labour of the recovery in the early
peripheries and then the 1990s boosted the
return of profits could be region's growth rates, the
real income of the bottom
 greater than the outflow of 40 percent remained
capital. below the poverty line in
In the centre, it will most Latin American
probably be impossible to countries (Sharma,
reconstitute a large 2013).
reserve army of labour on
a lasting basis. And even
in the most dynamic
peripheries, it will be
impossible for modernized
productive activities to
absorb the huge reserves
of labour existing within
low-productivity activities.
the dynamic peripheries
will therefore still be
peripheries.
Due to sharper
competition on world
markets, those who are
lagging behind
(peripheries) would hardly
able to catch up.

Markets regulated by the The scandal of the drugs In the operation of the
powers of monopolies companies that claim free system, developing states
situated beyond the market. and exclusive access to could be said no rooms for
the world market, denying world economy as it highly
anyone else the right to influenced by those
produce cheap medicine in having a greater
the countries of the South economic power even in
 it means that only people the direction of its
in the rich countries will domestic policy, if ever
have the right to life itself. sees it as against to their
The WTO as a colonial interest.
ministries which favors the --during Marcos regime,
Triad prevent the the economic policy of the
colonies from becoming Philippines was
competitors. determined by these two
monetary body: WTO and
IMF, under the influenced
of the US, to shift into
export-oriented
industrialization despite of
the resistant movements
of the nationalist in the
country who favors the
import-oriented
industrialization (Bello, W.
& et.al., 1982).
Globalization is only another Washington is using the It is a privileged in the part
word for U.S. domination. pretext of terrorism to of the U.S. with this new
forge ahead with its trend of economic
expansionist strategy for activities, the
militarization to artificially globalization. However,
maintain its economic U.S. hegemonism has
position. brought on the world a
The hegemonist strategy war without end, peace
of the United States and against those who they
its NATO allies is today consider a threat to their
the main enemy of social national security and
peace.
progress, democracy and --It can be remembered
peace. that some of middle
eastern countries are
threat to U.S. as they
branded it as a rogue
states. During the speech
of President Bush
encouraging other nation,
with this new world, to be
united against the would-
be terrorist attack in his
hard work of freedom.
Part III.

In todays society, the previous forms of capitalism such as mercantilism and

industrial capitalism, the finance capitalism and collective imperialism brought so much
destruction in the system. The unequal distribution of wealth makes other countries the
peripheries suffer from this new trend of globalization. The unending agony of the
working class would record a new history of revolution for the manifestation of its
resistance to the current economic system. The alternative to capitalism is the long
transition of the socialism for the rebirth of the democracy, peace and the promise of
prosperity for all. In todays condition, a multipolar world is also a necessary framework
for the alternatives which have to pass through the process of regionalization. The fear of
U.S. and other developed states for the practice of regional interdependence and possible
bargaining as they see it as detrimental to their economic activity and even in their political
and social condition. Now, the system of capitalism has reached it points to obsolescence.