1001Ebook » Entreprise et Bourse » Super Imperialism: The Origin and Fundamentals of U.S. World Dominance (2022)
  • Auteur: Michael Hudson
  • Editeur: Pluto Press; New édition (18 décembre 2014)
  • Pages: ‎ 449 pages
  • Langue: Français

Description du livre Super Imperialism: The Origin and Fundamentals of U.S. World Dominance (2022):

Michael Hudson's brilliant shattering book will leave orthodox economists spluttering. Classical economists don't like to be reminded of the ugly realities of Imperialism. Hudson is one of the tiny handful of economic thinkers in today's world who are forcing us to look at old questions in startling new ways. Alvin Toffler, best-selling author of Future Shock and The Third Wave

This new and completely revised edition of Super Imperialism describes the genesis of America's political and financial domination.

Michael Hudson's in-depth and highly controversial study of U.S. financial diplomacy explores the faults built into the core of the World Bank and the IMF at their inception which -- he argues -- were intended to preserve the US's financial hegemony. Difficult to detect at the time, these problems have since become explicit as the failure of the international economic system has become apparent; the IMF and World Bank were set up to give aid to developing countries, but instead many of the world's poorest countries have been plunged into insurmountable debt crises.

Hudson's critique of the destructive course of the international economic system provides important insights into the real motivations at the heart of these institutions - and the increasing tide of opposition that they face around the world.



Commentaires

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Super Imperialism by Mike Hudson. While the book was slow at points, the knowledge obtained was well worth the effort. The book starts at the beginning of the 20th century and takes the reader chronologically through time elucidating the consequences of the major economic and geopolitical events of the 1900's related to the thesis.

Hudson examines the consequences of the following:

The burden of WWI on the economies of the western world leading to the United States becoming the creditor of Allied Powers and holder of most of the world's gold.

The breakdown of the world economic order including post WWI Germany and events leading up to the Great Depression.

WWII and Lend Lease aid to the Soviets.

The lessons learned from WWI's crushing reparation payments result in the creation of the IMF and World Bank.

How the U.S. found itself in a position where millions of soldiers were returning to a domestic economy geared for arms production and the switch to post war rebuilding of Europe.

The inception of the IMF and World Bank and details of how these NGO's are used for imperialism

The establishment and demise of Brenton Woods.

The closure of the Gold Window after the Vietnam War spending destroys confidence in the dollar.

The rise of the petrodollar and briefly touching upon the end of the petrodollar system

The imperialism of USAID.

Taken together Super Imperialism is the story of the United States' rise to the apex of economic power becoming the world's major creditor, rebuilding post WWII Europe and Japan, the benefits achieved from the dollar's status as the world reserve currency, to the end of the gold backed dollar through the squandering of the United States finances in Vietnam. The Petrodollar-Dollar system takes hold and the recycling of oil revenues into U.S. Treasuries leads to Super Imperialism by the U.S. now the world's major debtor nation in a sort of too big to fail or if the U.S. crashes the whole world goes down with it scenario.

Although I read the book a while back, I find myself reflecting back on Mr. Hudson's Super Imperialism regularly. Super Imperialism provides critical insight into the understanding of the economic history of the 20th century.

Many Americans don't understand the connection between the national debt and Imperialism. The unique ability the U.S. has to fund hundreds of military bases around the world. Why does the U.S. spend more on the military than the rest of the world combined especially when 40% of the budget is borrowed. I look forward to reading Hudson's other book Global Fracture: The New International Economic Order which picks up where Super Imperialism left off.

Global Fracture: The New International Economic Order
The Hidden Hand of American Hegemony: Petrodollar Recycling and International Markets (Cornell Studies in Political Economy)
Petrodollar Warfare: Oil, Iraq and the Future of the Dollar
5/5