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Gap Between Rich and Poor

Gap Between Rich and Poor. Richest 1% of world’s population = income of poorest 57% Assets of top 3 billionaires > GNP of 600 million people in least developed countries 1960, average GNP of wealthy nations = $6520 / poor = $361: Difference = $6159

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Gap Between Rich and Poor

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  1. Gap Between Rich and Poor • Richest 1% of world’s population = income of poorest 57% • Assets of top 3 billionaires > GNP of 600 million people in least developed countries • 1960, average GNP of wealthy nations = $6520 / poor = $361: • Difference = $6159 • 2007: Average GDP of high-human development countries = $33,949 / least developed = $862 • Difference = $33,087

  2. Gap Between Rich and Poor

  3. Effects of Disparities in Wealth • 2010: 925 million people are undernourished (one in 7) • Per capita public spending on health: • Least developed countries: $32 • High-income countries: $1965 • 10 million children < 5 die annually from preventable causes: 30,000 a day • Diarrhea killed more children in 1990s than all people killed in armed conflict since WWII Source: HDR 2009 Tables / UN Food Crisis Report 2010

  4. Life Expectancy at Birthc Source: Human Development Report 2009

  5. Life Expectancy at Birthc Life Expectancy at Birth, 2007

  6. Why study Marxism today? • Historical Importance • One-third of humanity lived under Marxist-inspired regimes • Intellectual tool to analyze inequality: Emphasis on revolutionary impact of capitalism upon human society major contribution to history of thought • Heirs of marxist tradition animate contemporary critiques of globalization and inequality

  7. Marxism / Imperialism • Economic Inequalities / Redistributive Justice • Oppression • Critique of Capitalism and Globalization • Transformation / Replacement of system (as opposed to maintenance / reform)

  8. Marxism/ImperialismCentral Assumptions and Propositions • View of History: Teleological / Dialectical • Classical Marxism: Stages of History • Imperialism • Dependency Theory • Crises of Capitalism: Unjust inequalities require oppression to sustain

  9. Marxism / Imperialism • Key actors • Classes • What is the role of the state? • Instrumental Marxism: State as “Executive Committee of the Ruling (Corporate) Class” • Chomsky • Evidence? Interventions in Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Dominican Republic (1965) • Iraq 2003? • Problems: When government policy is against business interests or lack of business interests as key motivation (Korean War, Vietnam, Kosovo, Afghanistan, etc.)

  10. Marxism: state serving the interests of corporations

  11. Marxism / Critical Theory • Key actors • Classes • What is the role of the state? • ‘Instrumental’ Marxism: Individual government policy is controlled by corporate interests • ‘Structural Marxism’: Role of state is to ensure overall stability of global capitalist economy • Gramsci: ‘Hegemonic Blocs’ (state, corporations, media) perpetuate ideology / myths to perpetuate inequalities • Example: “IMF - Wall Street - Treasury Complex” perpetuate myth of corruption and “crony capitalism” to explain Asian economic crisis of 1997

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