For the entire post-WWII period, the organizing principle of global politics was determined by the East/West Cold War. Almost all issues were refracted through that prism. Now, with the collapse of the East, what will emerge as the dominant paradigm? The North, that is, the United States, Europe and Japan, form the core or center of economic, political and military power. At the periphery is the South, or the Third World, representing most of the world's peoples, virtually powerless and thus marginalized to a service function. The North views the undeveloped South as a base for cheap labor, resources and markets. This structural relationship produces polarization and conflict not only between the haves and the have-nots but even within the haves themselves. The question of hegemony or domination is central. Who controls what? Lecture, interview.

Samir Amin
Samir Amin has long studied North/South issues. A native of Cairo, he has written extensively on economics, development and international affairs. He is Director of the Third World Forum in Dakar, Senegal.