David’s Reviews > Unequal Development: An Essay on the Social Formations of Peripheral Capitalism > Status Update
David
is on page 69 of 440
I am not sold at all on Amin's Maoist state capitalism thesis in regards to the USSR, but I am glad to see an actual theory of political economy regarding it rather than the simple declarations found in Chinese works of the period. What makes the Soviet "bourgeoisie" a "state-class"? How is that surplus allocation analogous to actual capitalism? His critique of rationality in planning is puzzling.
— Sep 10, 2026 08:07AM
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David’s Previous Updates
David
is on page 378 of 440
Critique of Soviet economism in favour of the "spontaneous [economic] development" of the GPCR is downright silly, even as someone deeply sympathetic to the process and goals of the GPCR.
— Sep 11, 2026 08:26AM
David
is on page 370 of 440
More nuanced view on the "Soviet Mode of Production," I am glad to read he is not a dogmatic Maoist here.
— Sep 11, 2026 08:20AM
David
is on page 316 of 440
Bit more critical of Pan-Arabism and nationalism in Algeria than I would be, but valid class critiques on their limitations and historical failures.
— Sep 10, 2026 02:08PM
David
is on page 191 of 440
Integration of Eastern Europe into the world system and switch of the 3rd World to classical industrial production given as viable routes for capitalism to escape the crisis of the 70s. Both came true, alongside neoliberal trade policies.
— Sep 10, 2026 11:39AM
David
is on page 69 of 440
Amin's notion that state capitalism was the only way forward was clearly wrong and countered by the development of neoliberalism, which is interesting because it seemed to me that Emmanuel had pointed to the likely development of the latter in Unequal Exchange.
— Sep 10, 2026 08:10AM