International Exchange and the Causes of Backwardness

Abstract

The unequal development of the productive forces was shown by Marx to be a fundamental law of capitalist accumulation; and, in general, it is this law which produces uneven development on a world scale and inequality among countries. While all Marxists agree that the explanation of inequality in levels of development between countries lies in the laws of uneven development,' there is less agreement upon the mechanism by which this uneven development is produced and reproduced on a world scale. One can distinguish two broad approaches, (a) those who explain inequality in levels of development among countries primarily in the sphere of circulation, emphasizing the appropriation of the surplus of one country by another country,2 and (b) those who place the cause of inequality in the sphere of production, and, thus, as a relationship between classes reproduced on a world scale. The purpose of this paper is to critique the former position and to develop further the latter.3 Briefly summarizing our position and the themes we develop: (a) exploitation is a relationship between classes, not between countries, and international transfers of value are understood from this standpoint; (b) inequality among countries is the consequence of class exploitation in backward coun-