Arguments and Themes in Revolution in the Third World by Eqbal Ahmad

The presentation is evidently about the causes and the consequences of revolutions in the developing countries. The civil wars and the political unrest in the third world countries mainly stem from economic, political, and social inequality among the citizens. The main desire is often to achieve equality, but in the end, the wars leave the countries more devastated and profoundly underdeveloped. The wars are often within state, but the external intervention is quite significant. For example, millions of American youth died in the Indo-China war. Additionally, wars normally have cultural aspects that include religion and ethnicity. The main causes include but not limited to extreme poverty, social inequality, poor government services, economic stagnation, individual incentives, and politics (local or international).

In order to stop the occurrence of war, there is need to accelerate inclusive development that focuses on the reduction of the existing inequality gaps. The governments and the international bodies should undertake measures that reduce the rate of unemployment particularly among the youth. Asserting proper and international control on illicit trade such as the black market purchasing of oil or prohibited drugs like cocaine and opium will go a long way in prompting legitimate exchange of goods, which accords people equal opportunities. Finally, increasing private incentives on war causes more damage.

Relevance to the course Material

The lecture is quite consistent with course provisions. The main cause of unrest in the developing world is the unequal share of the national resources. The political and the aristocratic class normally have a bigger share than the others, forcing the masses to revolt. The revolutions do not normally achieve the intended target since the governments mostly adopt policies aimed at protecting those in power but not the ones to spur economic growth. For example, in Egypt and Turkey, the governments adopted counter-cyclical economic policies. State-led industrialization promoted autarkic development that did not last. At first, the levels of production in various sector almost doubled. However, after several years labor revolutions began. It therefore means that revolutions never last especially if the right measures are not put in place.

As mentioned earlier, conflicts mainly arise due to social and economic inequality. After the revolutions, the countries affected put in place various measures aimed at promoting equality. However, the problems persist since the policies to not comprehensively address the peasant concerns, despite the fact that the lower class normally forms the center of the wars. Inequitable distribution of factors of production and rampant rural poverty tend to persist. The Marxist ideology in the developing world concentrates in alleviating poverty in the urban areas. Lack of effective political or social organization prevents the rural poor from organizing protests.

Personal Assessment of the Themes

The assertions or the analysis of third world revolutions and the organizational dynamics are relevant to the national, regional, and international situations. The profound social and economic differences between the Arab world and the Western countries point to international horizontal inequalities. In the mentioned regions, the value of natural resource endowment is essentially equal. The difference is thus the economic or the political model pursued. While the West settled for the capitalist and the democratic systems the Middle East pursued Marxist ideologies that gave rise to few rich people at the expense of the poor. Disproportionate income distribution is a pre-requisite for conflict and political unrest. Inclusivity and genuine economic growth are the real solutions to global conflicts.