,P&EMIC ,IMMIS]ATION 
,! ,MY? ( ,CAPITALI/ ,AFFLU5CE 

#aiii 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,A4 ,K5T ,MAC,D\GALL 

,TEXT 3 

,FIF? ,E/ATE ,NOTE3 ,SOME T]M9OLOGY 9 ?IS BRIEF BUT POT5T ESSAY DIFF]S SOME:AT FROM ! LANGUAGE G5]ALLY US$ 9 ! ,F,E4 

,= EXAMPLE1 WE NORMALLY DO NOT 9VOKE ,M>X & ,5GELS 9 ECONOMIC CRITIQUES1 BUT MU* ( !IR ECONOMIC ANALYSIS REMA9S VALID 9TO ! MOD]N ]A4 

,ALSO1 WE FEEL ! COMMONLY US$ T]M1 EMPLOY$ H]E BY ! AU?OR1 0DEVELOP+10 IS 9ACCURATE TO DESCRIBE ! NATIONS ( ! ,S\? -- ?AT IS ! ,S\!RN TI]1 NON-9DU/RIAL C\NTRIES4 ,! PHRASE CONNOTES A PROCESS ?AT IS NOT OCCURR+1 AS ! >TICLE ABLY PO9TS \T4 

,DESPITE !SE M9OR DIFF]5CES1 WE ?9K HIS DESCRIPTION ( CONTEMPOR>Y CAPITALISM IS COMPELL+ & DES]VES WIDE POSSIBLE DISSEM9ATION4 

,! AU?OR CAN BE CONTACT$ DIRECTLY AT #iaa ,OX=D ,/41 ,B]KELEY1 ,C,A #i#d#g#g4 

"9 "9 "9 

,DUR+ ! PO/-,SECOND ,WORLD ,W> ECONOMIC BOOM1 ,M>XI/S W]E H>D-PRESS$ TO DEF5D ! KEY T5ET ?AT CAPITALISM T5DS TO RAISE ! RATE ( EXPLOITATION ( WORK]S BY L[]+ !IR REAL WAGES RELATIVE TO LABOR PRODUCTIVITY & PR(ITS4 ,AMID UNMI/AKABLE IMPROVEM5TS 9 MAT]IAL LIV+ /&>DS = MO/ WORK]S 9 MO/ ADVANC$ CAPITALI/ C\NTRIES1 IT WAS H>D TO >GUE ?AT ! WORK+ CLASS WAS UND]GO+ RELATIVE IMPOV]I%M5T1 LET ALONE ABSOLUTE IMPOV]I%M5T4 

,NO MORE4 ,IMPOV]I%M5T & IMMIS]ATION >E ON ! RISE JU/ AB\T EV]Y:]E 9 ! WORLD4 ,?IS IS EVID5T 9 /ATI/ICS ON RATES ( UNEMPLOYM5T1 POV]TY1 HOMELESSNESS1 & HUNG]4 ,& IT /RIKES ! EYE 9 JU/ AB\T EV]Y MAJOR CITY -- 9 ! SULL5 SLUMS ( ,WE/]N B\RGEOIS DEMOCRACIES NO LESS ?AN 9 ! GRITTY CAPITALS ( =M] ,SOVIET BLOC C\NTRIES & ! TEEM+ *ANTY CITIES ( ! P]IPH]AL ,S\?4 

,A ,BLIP ,9 ,A ,G5]AL ,DECL9E 

,:AT'S MORE1 EVID5CE IS ACCUMULAT+ ?AT PO/-,SECOND ,WORLD ,W> PROSP]ITY MAY PROVE 9 ! LONG RUN TO HAVE BE5 NO MORE ?AN A BLIP 9 A G5]AL DECL9E ( LIV+ /&>DS S9CE ! ADV5T ( CAPITALISM4 

,ACCORD+ TO ,IMMANUEL ,WALL]/E91 0,P]HAPS AS MU* AS #he P]C5T ( ! PEOPLE :O LIVE )9 ! /RUCTURES ( ! CAPITALI/ WORLD ECONOMY >E CLE>LY NOT LIV+ AT /&>DS HI<] ?AN ! WORLD'S POPULATIONS ( #e-#a1 YE>S AGO4 ,9DE$1 IT C\LD BE >GU$ ?AT MANY1 EV5 MO/ ( !M >E MAT]IALLY WORSE (F40 

,CAPITALISM'S T5D5CY TO G5]ATE WEAL? = ! RELATIVELY FEW & POV]TY = ! MANY IS AS MU* 9 EVID5CE TODAY AS IT WAS 9 ! #a#i? ,C5TURY ,5GL& ( 0D>K SATANIC MILLS0 ?AT ,M>X & ,5GELS SO P]CEPTIVELY ANALYZ$4 ,N[1 AS !N1 ! POOR GR[ POOR] AS ! RI* GR[ RI*]4 

,! DET]IORATION ( LIV+ /&>DS ( ! ,5GLI% WORK+ CLASS DUR+ ! E>LY & MID-/AGES ( ! ,9DU/RIAL ,REVOLUTION WAS HALT$ & GRADUALLY REV]S$ L>GELY BECAUSE SOME ( ! WEAL? SUCK$ FROM OV]SEAS COLONIES TRICKL$ D[N TO ! MASSES1 & MILLIONS EMIGRAT$ OV]SEAS1 R$UC+ ! RES]VE >MY ( UNEMPLOY$4 ,TODAY1 !RE >E F> FEW] UND]POPULAT$ P>TS ( ! WORLD TO %IP SURPLUS WORK]S TO4 ,SO1 A HALT TO ! WORLDWIDE DECL9E 9 LIV+ /&>DS IS UNLIKELY ANYTIME SOON4 ,9DE$1 IT IS UNLIKELY AS LONG AS CAPITALISM DOM9ATES ! WORLD ECONOMY4 

,! PO/-,SECOND ,WORLD ,W> IMPROVEM5T 9 WAGES WAS CONSI/5T ) ,M>X'S PROPOSITION ?AT REAL WAGES CAN RISE PROVID$ !Y DO NOT 9T]F]E ) ! PROGRESS ( ACCUMULATION4 ,& ! PO/-#a#i#g#c ]OSION ( WAGES FOLL[S HIS VIEW ?AT :]E ! RES]VE >MY ( UNEMPLOY$ IS L>GE1 REAL WAGES CAN BE DRIV5 D[N EV5 BEL[ SUBSI/5CE4 ,CURR5TLY1 ! RES]VE >MY ( UNEMPLOY$ & UND]EMPLOY$ IS E/IMAT$ AT A ?IRD OR MORE ( ALL WORK]S WORLDWIDE4 ,) SO MANY PEOPLE DESP]ATE = ANY WORK AT ANY WAGE1 IT IS LITTLE WOND] ?AT ABSOLUTE IMPOV]I%M5T IS ON ! RISE 9 SO MANY P>TS ( ! GLOBE4 

,! ,UNIT$ ,NATIONS ,DEVELOPM5T ,PROGRAM E/IMATES ?AT 0MORE ?AN ONE BILLION PEOPLE 9 DEVELOP+ C\NTRIES LACK ACCESS TO BASIC HEAL? & $UCATION1 SAFE DR9K+ WAT] & ADEQUATE NUTRITION4 ,& ONE P]SON 9 ?REE LIVES 9 POV]TY40 ,AN E/IMAT$ #a MILLION >E HOMELESS4 ,MORE ?AN #h MILLION >E TOO POOR TO AF=D AN ADEQUATE DIET4 

,HUNG] IS WIDESPREAD & 9CREAS+1 MO/ NOTABLY 9 ,AFRICA BUT ALSO 9 ! ,UNIT$ ,/ATES :]E1 ACCORD+ TO ,CONGRESSIONAL TE/IMONY1 ! HUNGRY 9CREAS$ TO #c MILLION 9 #aiie FROM #b MILLION 9 #a#i#h#e4 ,BY ! GOV]NM5T'S [N E/IMATE1 #cf MILLION ,AM]ICANS LIV$ 9 POV]TY 9 #a#i#i#e4 ,EV5 ,AM]ICANS :O CONSID] !MSELVES MIDDLE-CLASS >E BE+ SQUEEZ$ BY A G5]AL DECL9E 9 9FLATION-ADJU/$ WAGES ?AT HAS P]SI/$ = MORE ?AN #b YE>S1 AS WELL AS HUMBL$ BY ! ]OSION ( JOB SECURITY & B5EFITS4 

,! ]OSION ( MAT]IAL LIV+ /&>DS 9 BO? ,NOR? ,AM]ICA & ,EUROPE REFLECTS MORE ?AN CORPORATE GRE$1 ! SIPHON+ (F ( 9DU/RY & JOBS TO ! L[-WAGE ,S\?1 ! WEAK5+ ( LABOR UNIONS1 OR EV5 ! ECONOMIC /AGNATION COMMON TO CAPITALI/ ECONOMIES UNABLE TO PROVIDE SUFFICI5T PRODUCTIVE 9VE/M5T OPPORTUNITIES TO ABSORB SURPLUS PR(ITS4 ,IT ALSO REFLECTS ! EV] M\NT+ CO/S ?AT 9DU/RIAL SOCIETIES SU/A9 TO MA9TA9 L>G] & MORE SPECIALIZ$ BUREAUCRACIES1 TO GA!R & DISSEM9ATE 9=MATION CRITICAL TO C5TRALIZ$ CONTROL1 TO $UCATE EV] MORE N>R[LY SPECIALIZ$ EXP]TS1 TO FUND RESE>* & DEVELOPM5T1 TO LEGITIMATE ! /ATUS QUO1 TO MILIT>IZE AGA9/ REAL & IMAG9$ EXT]NAL ?REATS1 & TO MA9TA9 9T]NAL CONTROL OV] 9CREAS+LY RE/IVE POPULATIONS4 

,ALL ( !SE CO/S LEVI$ DISPROPORTIONATELY AGA9/ ! WORK+ POPULATION -- BY BUS9ESSES 9 ! =M ( HI<] PRICES & BY GOV]NM5TS 9 ! =M ( 9CREAS+LY REGRESSIVE TAXES ?AT HAVE R$UC$ LABOR'S %>E ( ! ECONOMIC SURPLUS RELATIVE TO BO? LABOR PRODUCTIVITY & PR(ITS4 

,APOLOGI/S ,= ,CAPITALISM 

,! DECL9E 9 LIV+ /&>DS ( MO/ WORK]S 9 MO/ MATURE CAPITALI/ C\NTRIES W\LD APPE> EV5 GREAT] IF EXP5DITURES ?AT WORK]S MAKE \T ( NECESSITY RA!R ?AN *OICE W]E 9CLUD$ 9 ! CALCULATIONS4 ,NEW NE$S -- MORE S*OOL+ TO PREP>E = DESIRABLE WORK1 A C> TO COMMUTE TO A DI/ANT JOB1 MANUFACTUR$ 5T]TA9M5T TO COMP5SATE = ! SOCIAL ISOLATION CAUS$ BY ! BREAKD[N ( 9T]ACTIVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES -- RAISE ! REAL CO/ ( LIV+ )\T NECESS>ILY IMPROV+ ! QUALITY ( LIFE4 

,MU* IS MADE BY APOLOGI/S = CAPITALISM ?AT1 DEPLORABLE AS POV]TY IS 9 WEAL?Y C\NTRIES1 ! POOR >E /ILL LIV+ BETT] ?AN !IR =EBE>S US$ TO & !IR C\NT]P>TS 9 LESS DEVELOP$ C\NTRIES /ILL DO4 ,IF LIV+ /&>DS W]E DET]M9$ SOLELY BY ! QUANTITY ( ONE'S P]SONAL POSSESIONS1 ?IS W\LD G5]ALLY BE TRUE4 ,BUT POV]TY IS NOT JU/ ! ABS5CE ( POSSESSIONS4 

,ABOVE ALL1 IT IS ! D5IAL ( ! ESS5TIALS ( A DEC5T LIFE3 FRE$OM FROM EXPLOITATION1 OPPRESSION1 VIOL5CE1 DRUDG]Y & HUNG]2 FRE$OM TO LEAD ! LIFE ONE VALUES1 TO ASS]T ONE'S TRADITIONS & CULTURE1 & TO P>TICIPATE ACTIVELY 9 COMMUNITY & POLITICAL LIFE2 ACCESS TO MEAN+FUL WORK1 BASIC $UCATION1 HEAL? C>E1 & NONPOLLUT$ 5VIRONM5T2 &1 ABOVE ALL1 A S5SE ( EMP[]M5T & PURPOSE4 ,9 ALL !SE ESS5TIALS1 ! WORLD IS POOR 9DE$ -- & GETT+ POOR] ALL ! TIME4 

,FROM 3 ,!,AN>*I/,LIBR>Y4ORG4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #aiih 3 ,P&EMIC ,IMMIS]ATION -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,APRIL #b#h1 #bb 3 ,P&EMIC ,IMMIS]ATION -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #d1 #bbb 3 ,P&EMIC ,IMMIS]ATION -- ,UPDAT$4 

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