Sven Beckert, author of Empire of Cotton discusses the industrial revolution through following the cotton industry. Beckert uses a global perspective to capture the foreign relations and disparities in a changing a world. Slavery is one of the elements of the cotton industry that cannot be avoided. Beckert sees the enslavement of people as only one part of a bigger strategy in having advantage in a revolutionizing market. Through an almost indirect approach, Beckert tackles slavery throughout the growth of capitalism.
Cheap labor was seen as sufficient to a certain degree for a rapidly growing economy system. According to Beckert, in the beginning of this boom, all that was needed was a “flush with Swiss capital, cheap labor, and a broad network …show more content…
“Capitalism rested on the coexistence of war capitalism… the uncoordinated and unrestrained initiatives of its leading capitalist.” (Beckert 173). Traditional ways to acquire capital were still around during that time period and still exist today. It almost begs the question if war capitalism is still used today. While slavery has been eradicated globally, the other aspects of war capitalism are still used. Beckert really challenges the levels capitalists turned to for profit. Enslavement is not a light-hearted matter, so to reach that level is quite extreme. However, war capitalism was able to redefine and reshape ideas of capitalism and showed the possibilities of politics within foreign relations for economic pursuit.
Sven Beckert points out that the industrial revolution created economic competition and growth through countries worldwide. I think what he’s getting at is slavery was not seen as an unjust thing, but rather another resource. Beckert explains war capitalism and colonization to be just another way to have economic advantages and markets to trade with. Looking at the entire views of capital and industry during this time period, brings about the kind of thinking for merchants and countries. As industry transformed, it leaked into other institution, economy, political, and eventually to
Cheap labor was seen as sufficient to a certain degree for a rapidly growing economy system. According to Beckert, in the beginning of this boom, all that was needed was a “flush with Swiss capital, cheap labor, and a broad network …show more content…
“Capitalism rested on the coexistence of war capitalism… the uncoordinated and unrestrained initiatives of its leading capitalist.” (Beckert 173). Traditional ways to acquire capital were still around during that time period and still exist today. It almost begs the question if war capitalism is still used today. While slavery has been eradicated globally, the other aspects of war capitalism are still used. Beckert really challenges the levels capitalists turned to for profit. Enslavement is not a light-hearted matter, so to reach that level is quite extreme. However, war capitalism was able to redefine and reshape ideas of capitalism and showed the possibilities of politics within foreign relations for economic pursuit.
Sven Beckert points out that the industrial revolution created economic competition and growth through countries worldwide. I think what he’s getting at is slavery was not seen as an unjust thing, but rather another resource. Beckert explains war capitalism and colonization to be just another way to have economic advantages and markets to trade with. Looking at the entire views of capital and industry during this time period, brings about the kind of thinking for merchants and countries. As industry transformed, it leaked into other institution, economy, political, and eventually to