RED DAVE
11th February 2010, 04:52
Much of the discussion in the Trotskyist politics (http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-trotskyists-do-t128301/index.html) and Maoist politics (http://www.revleft.com/vb/do-maoists-do-t128379/index.html) threads has centered around the developing situation in Nepal. I think, therefore, it would be a good idea to have a thread directly dedicated to this discussion. This should not supplant but supplement the existing Nepalese news thread (http://www.revleft.com/vb/news-nepal-t114558/index.html).
Since much of the discussion has to do with the Nepalese proletariat, here is an article on industrial development in Nepal, which, though slightly dated, gives some idea of the history and level of development. It's interesting to note that most of the industrial sector in Nepal is already a form of state capitalism. This parallels this situation in Taiwan, where state capitalism was and is being used as a precursor to private capitalism.
It is, of course, the assertion of many of us here, based on the precedents of China and Vietnam, that the Maoist program, divested of its Marxist rhetoric, is, objectively, a program for state capitalism.
Until the 1980s, modern industry was almost nonexistent; only0.66% of Nepal's GDP was derived from industry in 1964/65. Since then, industrial development has been given emphasis in economic planning. Manufacturing as a percent of total GDP at current factor cost rose from 4.2% in 1980 to 6.1% in 1990 to9.2% in 1995 to an estimated 22% in 2000. However, manufacturing is a sector that has been hit particularly hard by the Maoist insurgency and the intensification of violence since 2001. The CIA estimates that the industrial production growth rate for 1999/2000 was 8.7%. However, this had dropped to less than 1% for 2001/02 according to IMF estimates.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Nepal-INDUSTRY.html
RED DAVE
Since much of the discussion has to do with the Nepalese proletariat, here is an article on industrial development in Nepal, which, though slightly dated, gives some idea of the history and level of development. It's interesting to note that most of the industrial sector in Nepal is already a form of state capitalism. This parallels this situation in Taiwan, where state capitalism was and is being used as a precursor to private capitalism.
It is, of course, the assertion of many of us here, based on the precedents of China and Vietnam, that the Maoist program, divested of its Marxist rhetoric, is, objectively, a program for state capitalism.
Until the 1980s, modern industry was almost nonexistent; only0.66% of Nepal's GDP was derived from industry in 1964/65. Since then, industrial development has been given emphasis in economic planning. Manufacturing as a percent of total GDP at current factor cost rose from 4.2% in 1980 to 6.1% in 1990 to9.2% in 1995 to an estimated 22% in 2000. However, manufacturing is a sector that has been hit particularly hard by the Maoist insurgency and the intensification of violence since 2001. The CIA estimates that the industrial production growth rate for 1999/2000 was 8.7%. However, this had dropped to less than 1% for 2001/02 according to IMF estimates.http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Nepal-INDUSTRY.html
RED DAVE