Gridlock
Reviewed by Kate Ahrens Ben Elton's new book, 'Gridlock', is based on a plot in the mould of it's excellent predecessor 'Stark'. It revolves around a new hydrogen engine, which it's inventor, Geoffrey Peason, hopes will revolutionise transport.
In addition Geoffrey, cerebral paisy sufferer, hopes that it will help him to chase his hearthrob, Debra. But, as in Stark, the forces of evil quickly begin to plot to thwart his plans. When Geoffrey attempts to patent his invention, the plans are passed on to the Transport ministry, and thence on to Sam Turk, a car manufacturer. Dollar signs quickly appear in the businessman's eyes, as he imagines the profits to be gained from oil companies and others, in return for keeping the invention quiet.
A struggle then begins for control of the plans. Geoffrey, Debra, and her flatmate 'Toss' -a black traffic warden, begin a invent the plans before the baddies find them.
At the same time, the Tory government is scheming to win support for a massive expansion of road building. When Geoffrey is shot, Debra who is quadroplegic, ends up in a wheelchair-chase in a colossal traffic jam (engineered by the Tories) to win back the plans. And in the process, they are destroyed.
There are some hilarious scenes and some shocking ones, and the book does a commendable job at focussing on characters with disabilities, without those being the main facet of the characters. And Geoffrey's positive self-assertion is hand-led convincingly, from his Hells Angel leather with 'Geoffrey Spasmo' to his 'Hi! I'm Geoffrey, I'm a spastic'. But the joky, laid-back reaction of 'Toss' to racism is perhaps a little overplayed.
In the end, Stark was a much hottar effort in a number of ways. As a comic plot, Gridlock gets just a bit too close to reality to have the same comic impact as Stark, where the evil plot was so ludicrous as to be incredible.
And as a result, the total defeat of Geoffrey and his allies Ben Elton with Stark, where at least the evil bosses get theirs, even if the plan to avert catastrophe does fail.
In addition, the fact the invention around which the plot is based is not so far from reality (it has in fact just been produced), means that the plot's credibility is rather thin.
The face of imperialism: American troops in Vietnam In popular language the term 'imperialism' often simply means powerful nations oppressing weaker ones, generally by invasion and conquest.
Marxists use the term in a morespecific way, to denote the structure of the world economy and world politics which emerged from the end of the 19th century onwards. This involves the world economy being based on the exploitation of the poor countries by the few rich nations.
How did modern imperialism emerge? After the industrial revolution, which took ›lace in Europe between the i7th and 19th centuries, the development of the capitalist economies was concentrated at home.
Pillage
Ts true riac starenaa in Middle Ages, arce Holland and Spain pillaged Africa, Latin America and Asia - for gold and silver,slaves and spices. That pillage created part of the wealth used for the industrial revolution.
Still, up until the late 19th century the big expansion of the capitalst economies home. Through industries _ Marxism based on coal, the railways and the steam Mengin trance and capitalist Britain, America, Germany generated huge amounts of money capital.
The 'race for empire' which started in the 1880s was based on a simple fact; the recognition by capitalism that higher profits could be made on this capitalby investing itabroad, in the poorer countries, where the cost of labour power was much lower.
Britain, France and Germany vied with one anther to conquer new colonies, especially in África and Asia. The capitalists realised that profits depended not just on the strength of industry at home, but on the super-profits to be gained in the 'third world'.
AM NOT PREPARED TO TAKE THAT FROM YoU... tiny group of countries like Korea and Singapore, imperialist control of the world economy has ensured that the so-called 'third world' remains under-developedeconomically.
Multinationals
Starting in the 1960s, multinational corporations began to relocate some of their production in poorer countries. The old system of importing raw materials ane exporting manufactured goods to the colonies began to be modified.
For example, it became cheaper for some American car manufacturers to export 'kits' of car parts to Brazil or Argentina for the final assembly than to do it in Detroit. Because the price of labour power is much lower in those countries.
This underlies the emergerice RACIST!
NOW, LOOKHERE, I'M JUST AS HAPPY TO INTERVENE IN ANGOLA AS IN EL SALVADOR.. perialist conflicts. Despite the growth of transnational corportions, which have a worldwide outreach, capital is still fundamentally national in its ownership. Most great corporations - Phillips, Siemens, Ford, Dow Chemical - are based in one country. The struggle for world markets and imperialist super-profits is a permanent feature of imperialism.
However, after World War II, in the epoch of cold war and nuclear weapons, the extension of inter-imperialist conflict into war was prevented.
Faced® with a militarily powerful non-capitalist bloc, and with the prospect of war leading to mutual destruction, an inter-imperialist war would nave nen gcce or ne wo e world capitalist system. In any case, the 1950s and 1960s saw the absolute dominance -