On Tue, 11 Jul 2000, Mine Aysen Doyran wrote:
> there are also conference papers by Arrighi and Wallerstein (His article on
> _Rise and Demise of World System Theory_ is pretty useful in outlining some of
> the features of the world system theory. http://fbc.binghamton.edu/).
Sure, but here's Wallerstein writing in 1997 on the potential conflict
between Japan, the US and the EU in the 21st century (full text available
at http://fbc.binghamton.edu/iwrise.htm), where he bets the farm on Japan:
"4) Since a triad in ferocious mutual competition usually reduces to a
duo, the most likely combination is Japan plus the U.S.A. versus the E.U.,
a combination that is undergirded both by economic and paradoxically
cultural considerations.
5) This pairing would return us to the classical situation of a sea-air
power supported by the ex-hegemonic power versus a land-based power, and
suggests for both geopolitical and economic reasons the eventual success
of Japan."
Sea power versus land power -- in the era of GSM and bullet trains? I
mean, come *on*. This isn't to bash Wallerstein, who's written some neat
things, but he does seem to focus on the geopolitics and not the
geo-economics. But then, I'm just one of those carping, post-American
litcritters, so what do I know.
-- Dennis
