The Materiality of Nations in Geopolitical Economy : An overview of Radhika Desai’s work

Geopolitical economy unveils the Marxist theories versus mainstream capitalistic views.

In tracing the idea of Materiality of Nations Geo-economic shows that the idea of UCD (uneven and combined development), formally constructed by Leon Trotsky, was to analyse a preliminary tool for a permanent revolution and a developmental possibility for the civilization and economy in the Russian empire. Moreover, it formed the analytical background for classical theories of imperialism

The conception claims that uneven development in a revolutionary process which the current socio-economic system might inevitably change to socialism but won’t be able to complete the transition to socialism while the world economy is dominated by capitalist production and these less developed countries have a materialistic importance to its imperial powers or its mother countries.

This uneven development is produced by a capital diffusion and is inherent to nature of capitalism. Hence one of the features of capitalism is persistently searching for competitive advantage and to extract more profits from periphery countries. I would like to bring into discussion the path dependency theorization whereby periphery countries are willingly or unwillingly following the delusive institutions which were settled in the past by colonial powers. Succinctly, the imperial powers had established an imminent destructive vicious cycle within their colonies.

What derives the imperialism is having access to raw materials or resources however being realistic today’s battles are conducted intensively on controlling the oil-rich middle east nations. Not to neglect the importance of geopolitical economy in its newer usage which attempts to form an understanding of resource conflicts and wars . Nonetheless, regarding the Marxism the post WWII decolonization era reduced the accessibility of capitalist nations on its non capitalist environments and enabling to a rise in domestic working class demands and global wage.

A huge attention in geopolitical economy so far has been focused on matters of trade and investment—and the overabundance of goods and capital which capitalists create.

However, to read the specific features and dynamics of the modern world order remains the workings or assignments of geopolitical economy.