An Interstate Compact to End the Economic Development Subsidy Arms Race

With this chapter, the book’s major focus shifts from the whole world to Europe, where sustainable capitalist economic development first takes off. After Rome’s disintegration, due to Western Europe’s geography and level of military technology, no European state could gain a hegemony on power. The resulting intense and ever-present state competition fueled an arms race and technological innovation while keeping rulers in need of revenue. They found additional resources in the expanding commerce, manufacturing, and capitalist institutions that accompanied an emerging bourgeoisie. Consequently, uniquely in Europe a bourgeoisie sustainably managed to survive its own self-destructiveness and the hostility of a hereditary landed aristocracy. The growing muscle of the bourgeoisie expressed itself in increasingly successful demands for greater freedoms, privileges, status, and political power commensurable to their wealth. The unique sustainable success of the European bourgeoisie and capitalist institutions constitutes a historical singularity, paving the way for today’s riches and freedoms.

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Cancun Declaration On Peace In Central America

International Legal Materials ◽

10.1017/s0020782900030758 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 841-848

Keyword(s):

Economic Development ◽

Social Justice ◽

Central America ◽

Political Stability ◽

International Community ◽

Arms Race ◽

The Political ◽

Critical Situation ◽

Heads Of State ◽

Political Understanding

In view of the worsening of the conflicts in Central America, the Heads of State of Colombia, Belisario Betancur; of Mexico, Miguel de la Madrid﹜ of Panama, Ricardo de la Espriella﹜ and of Venezuela, Luis Herrera Campins, decided to meet at Cancun, Mexico, today, 17 July 1983.We considered the critical situation in Central America and agreed that we were all deeply concerned at the speed with which it was deteriorating, as evidenced by an escalation of violence, the progressive mounting of tensions, frontier incidents and the threat of a flare-up of hostilities that might spread. All this, combined with the arms race and outside interference, creates a tragic setting affecting the political stability of the region and ruling out any progress and consolidation of institutions responsive to the democratic yearning for freedom, social justice and economic development. The conflicts in Central America present the international community with the dilemma of either resolutely supporting and strengthening the path of political understanding by offering constructive solutions or passively accepting the accentuation of factors which could lead to extremely dangerous armed confrontations.

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