Irony: International Monetary Fund and World Bank (pictured) loans to poor countries come tied to conditions that
often weaken states, dismantle social protections and entrench dependency. Photo: Ajay Suresh
The growing global debate about the resurgence of the imperialist project, most starkly exposed by the unprovoked war on Iran and the devastation in Palestine, must be understood within the broader context of financial, economic and resource domination.
In this light, the great tragedy of the modern world is not simply that many countries, particularly poorer nations, failed to achieve development; rather, it is that they were systematically prevented from doing so.
For decades, the world has been told a comforting story: that poverty in Africa, Latin America, parts of Asia and the Caribbean is largely the result of corruption, incompetence, tribalism, laziness or a lack of innovation.
