Imperialism or the beast of the apocalypse

This paper starts with a critique of some biases in the theories of imperialism, dependancy and the international division of labour (IDL) such as holism, functionalism and the primacy of external causes. It is suggested that an analysis based on regimes of accumulation and modes of regulation might avoid these pitfalls. Such an analysis argues that a new IDL is being superimposed upon the old IDL with its characteristic divisions between centre and periphery and between manufactured goods and raw materials. The new IDL is developing along a pattern based on the levels of technology and skill within the labour process, and is leading to a dispersion of both the centre and periphery.