INTERNATIONAL TRADE 1250-1350 A.D.

Janet L. Abu-Lughod, Before European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350 (New York & Oxford: Oxford U. Press, 1989) (From the book cover: "In this important study, Janet Abu-Lughod presents a groundbreaking reinterpretation of global economic evolution, arguing that the modern world economy had its roots not in the 16th century economy, as is widely supposed, but in the 13th century economy--a system far different from the European world system which emerged from it. Further, she argues, it was the devolution of the preexisting system that facilitated Europe's hegemonic rise; there was no inherent historical necessity shifting the system in favor of the West or preventing eastern societies from becoming the progenitors of a modern world system. Rather, the comparative ease with which Europe established its hegemony is attributable to prior and systemic demographic and geopolitical shifts." From the text: "My work on the history of Cairo had convinced me that the Eurocentric view of the Dark Ages was ill-conceived. If the lights went out in Europe, they were actually certainly still shining brightly in the Middle East. Visiting and studying most of the other major cities in that region of the world reassured me that Cairo was only one apex in a highly developed system of urban civilization." Id. at ix-x. "In the face of [] reorganization of the geopolitics of the world, the United Stats has attempted to retain its earlier hegemony by two strategies: one has been militarily, either directly or through regional surrogates; the second has been through the globalization of capital, a phenomenon not unrelated to the arms trade." "Both strategies may be meeting with declining success. Direct force of arms has resulted in an unrelieved series of real defeats, whereas indirect military ventures have succeeded chiefly in miring region after region in local conflicts in which the goal seems to be the perpetuation rather than the resolution of conflict. Although this serves to reduce the number of players in the world system, it does not eliminate all contenders and competitors. The United States has sought to build coalitions with the remaining powers through international finance. This has led, however, to such a level of international indebtedness that constant and further expansion seems impossible." Id. at 370-371.).