IRLS - Week-7 Discussion Question

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Feb 20, 2024

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Week-7 Discussion Question We are requested to discuss the reasons for economic underdevelopment and the unequal distribution of income among states in this week's discussion post and from this week’s course material, it is noted that Neo-Marxism is an extension of the Marxist school of thought that retains its fundamental principles while expanding its relevance to the present world by examining the current dynamic between industrialized and developing nations ( Muntaner, Ng, Chung, & Prins 2005, p. 1) . According to the neo-Marxist school, the dominating and capitalist developed world can only accumulate wealth by exploiting a lower social class of workers, or the Third world. Low wages and worker exploitation allow capitalists to maximize profits, which are then used to enhance the empowerment of the ruling class rather than being reinvested. As a result, all surplus value is moved from the underdeveloped South to the North. According to the neo-Marxist viewpoint, the South's contribution to maintaining the North's deliberate superior position makes full industrialization and ability to compete with industrialized nations difficult (2005).  The neo-Marxist viewpoint can be used to show a change in normative ideals in connection to how developing countries are currently doing. First, exploitation—whether it be purely economic, social, cultural, or environmental—is a necessary component of the capitalist system whenever the North benefits economically at the expense of the South.  Although it is possible to argue that colonialist attitudes and behaviors are now universally rejected by international standards, it is crucial to consider the fact that norms tend to change gradually through time rather than entirely.  Since its first commercial production in the late 19th century, the growth of cocoa in West Africa has been associated with slavery and forced labor, particularly in the case of West African cocoa farming and because of the demand for cocoa in Western nations (Ould, Jordan, & Reynold 2003, p.6).  West African cocoa producers only get pennies on the dollar compared to Western capitalism.  For instance, less than 71% of a bushel was given to farmers in liberalized nations like Cameroon, Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire (Ould, Jordan, & Reynold 2003, p.39).  We should not assume that any country can actually have been able to entirely get rid of the exploitative intentions of colonialism in such a short time as this is partly anchored in decolonization and structural adjustment policies that are less than forty years old.   The neo-Marxist school of thought is focused on the inevitable self-interest and avarice of developed nations. Capital accumulation promotes profit-seeking behavior, therefore the only real incentive for capitalists is to take advantage of any surplus they can in order to make the most money. Citation Muntaner C, Ng E, Chung H, Prins SJ. Two decades of Neo-Marxist class analysis and health inequalities: A critical reconstruction. Soc Theory Health. 2015 Aug;13(3-4):267-287. doi: 10.1057/sth.2015.17. PMID: 26345311; PMCID: PMC4547054. Ould, David, Clair Jordan, Rebecca Reynold, and Lacey Loftin. “The Cocoa Industry in West Africa: A history of exploitation.”  Anti-Slavery International. 2003. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.antislavery.org/wp- content/uploads/2017/01/1_cocoa_report_2004.pdf
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