Imperialism Debate Help

[Georwell]

I am currently taking an International Relations Theory class, and we will be having a debate within the class this coming Monday.

Here is the general gist of the debate:



Topic: 1st world investment in 3rd world countries leads to:

Side 1 Side 2

Economic expansion for all (lawl) OR exploitation of the 3rd world.

I am calling out to you, the revleft community, to help me with this one. I've studied Marxism for the past year or so, but I am a bit ignorant when it comes quantitative evidence. Do you guys have some good evidence or historical scenarios that I could use for points to crush the other side? I am relatively new here so pardon me. I'm here to learn!

[Jesus Saves Gretzky Scores]

I happen to be learning about it in school, so I might be able to help. Look at the imperialism in Africa, Haiti, etc. around the time before and after the Berlin conference. It all led to near slavery or slavery. The workers worked only for the imperialists and were given no rights.:(

[Anarcho-Brocialist]

Exploitation of the 3rd world. Starting in the 1950s the World Bank started financing major "development projects" in the Third World. These projects, like dams, roads and power plants, were set up to promote profits and investments of imperialist corporations and banks. Today, the World Bank lends out billions of dollars a year to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as countries of the former Soviet bloc. It is the world's largest funder of development projects.

During the 1950s and 1960s, the IMF lent funds to many Third World countries. But starting in the 1970s, the debt of the non-oil-producing Third World increased five-fold, reaching a staggering $612 billion. The IMF's mission became to protect the interests of imperialist banks and to protect the world financial system from collapse.

The IMF lends money to poor countries on the condition that they institute certain economic reforms. For countries to be members of the World Bank they must be members of the IMF and submit to IMF supervision. IMF reforms are supposed to help poor countries get out of debt. But in reality IMF-imposed policies aim to increase foreign investment and intensify imperialist domination in the Third World.

The World Bank and the IMF headquarters are in Washington, D.C. The president of the World Bank is always a North American. The managing director of the IMF is always a West European. The U.S. effectively has the power to veto any decision the IMF takes.

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has power and responsibility for decisions on policies and approval of all loans. Five wealthy countries--U.S., Great Britain, France, Germany and Japan--dominate the Board. Voting rights are proportional to a country's share of the Bank's annual contribution and the U.S. has the biggest share.

The decision-making body of the IMF is dominated by countries with the largest Gross National Products. Votes in the IMF to set policy and approve loans are determined by a country's donation to the fund, so rich countries can literally buy voting power. The U.S. contributes about 20 percent of the total fund and has the biggest voting power.

Millions of people have been displaced from their homes by giant dams and other mega-projects financed by the World Bank. These projects ruin forests and rivers that have sustained generations of people.

World Bank-financed projects in Indonesia have led to massive relocation and the impoverishment of tens of thousands of people. In Brazil, World Bank roadbuilding projects have contributed to the speedup of forest destruction.

In more than half of the countries receiving SAP loans between 1980 and 1987, the availability of food per person declined. And in the drive to make Third World economies more "competitive," adjustment programs have also led to increased unemployment and falling wages.

[Georwell]

Thanks for the replies!
It'll definitely help to include different facts about the partition of Africa and the Berlin Conference, although I think that I'll need to do a bit more research into the actual quantitative investments made by European powers around the 1870s and 80s. I am predicting a possible counter by the side 1 with the mentioning of the Boshin War and western investment into Japan which eventually led to rapid modernization.


Proven, thanks for the information! The quantitative data provided by the post will help me across the board. Where did you get that information from?