Introductory Review of Chapter One: Global Political Economy

Introductory Review of Chapter One: Global Political Economy
Robert Gilpin (2001)

This book was not perhaps my initial first choice for review out of my new pallet and I may have rushed to read this first chapter merely because I would seek to prove the purity of my research goals. Namely, if I were a true budding, academic then I would not presume to have any opinions about nearly anything and thus merely regurgitate that which I have read into a sort of news-speak and mind-set which spoke to only the peerly-reviewed few who might even read it.

My reading schedules for the last two years have taken a mammoth amount of my private life down the path of which few return to the sociable world of the common man, whose activities and interests might necessarily only ever take few moments of quizzical ponderous befuddlement prior to dismissing any topic as too complicated, too vastly irrelevant, or in words highly redundant. This might easily explain why the joys and pleasures of even reading itself have been reduced so clearly to such a small portion of an average person's daily activities. Not only are the concepts at times not always easily absorbed in their newness. Also the time spent with books detracts from the comparative attractiveness of a person to the company of comparatively pleasant people, in any completeness, especially of men with a fondness for books, at times even such an interest comes at the cost of a woman's esteem and desirable attentions.

A man's first love is almost never a woman. It is often music, or even the poetics of intellectual thought. For some it is easily sports. Some women instinctively, and intuitively understand this and accept it, much as one would accept the flaws and foibles of an artist for the qualities of his work and personal interests. There are other women of course, who think nothing of expecting a man to draw nothing from the well of himself, for himself, or even other loved ones, and everything must always be for her and her satisfaction alone. As if the well of human experience does not offer many facets to the human character and a continuously adjusting, flexibilized and extenuating sharing of the self's joys, mysteries, faiths, and creativities, not only with the mate, but with extended family and children. Not only with family, but with friends and co-workers.

The cruelty of my own preferences is that even as I age, I prefer to enter the company of women who are generally in their early twenties, emotionally raw, somewhat under-developed, at times highly irrational, I am unaffected by their often moody, gloomy, barrenly hopeless minutes. When one realizes she is not only not the first love, but not even at times my first priority then she is thus gone. So under such circumstances I wholey concur that a man who devotes himself to a greater understanding of a particular topic improves the knowledge and debate in his own mind first, and even secondarily among his supposed peers. But so rarely one remains to create a stable spiritual, financial and emotional stronghold for his wife and family, all the same, he is to be forgiven much, even if at times he fails to see the lines in her face, young or old, the ones he never recognized. When he then focuses on her at it might only ever be in awe of a woman who would tolerate and enrich such a humour and nonsense even from the beginning. To share a man's love for his work is a rare art in a woman. That which steals him from her, that which furnishes his mind with hand scored stones and plinths upon which to attempt to explore even his own understanding of it, let alone the research and amalgamation, the weighings and exemplifications of those of others just like him. That takes a pearl, a ruby, an emerald, and a diamond of a woman.

In keeping with such a soliloqy, Gilpin credits his wife's assistance, not merely as a dedication. One feels the painful hours of a divided allegiance which most women run from screaming. Probably not even one out of even one hundred women would understand and put up with this man. How he ever knew she would, obviously he has more intelligence in the ways of very few women than that which he is credited for.

When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, she is relying on the natural strength of her position.

If her place of encampment is easy of access, she is tendering a bait.

The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade.

Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming.

He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.

(Interpretations on the Art of War or The Art of Netting a Husband)

So even perhaps more worthy is a man who reads what he has written and realises it to be completely false. As for economists such as Gilpin, who seek to paint a picture of the present, the task not only eludes, like youth, it evades. His previous work titled, "The Political Economy of International Relations" is credited by the author to be "totally outdated". Its publication in 1987 was relevant to the Cold War Era. I was amazed to receive a message from an unexpected source recommending that I read it first. Well, I continue to read Derek H. Aldcroft's "The European Economy 1914-2000" and feel as it is a historical accounting and includes extensive coverage of Marxism in its birthplaces rather than an attempt to solidfy present events it shall suffice at the moment. As well Ian Clark's reasonable synopsis of the real possibility that the tappets of economics have been stuck in the Cold War Era ever after as a root cause of my world issues within "Globalisation and Fragmentation" gives me confidence that the author not only knows what he is talking about he has the credibility and gracefulness to discourage readers from embarking upon pointless snapshots of a currency and immediacy which no longer exists.

Such outdating is nothing new to economists and their theories. However they rarely appear to admit it even to themselves let alone gleaning readers. The fact remains that the interim period of fourteen years has seen global rates of FDI multied annually by 15 to 20 times. If relevancy is measured by global investments capacities then his outdated book could be read intellectually to be about 210 years past current economic states of presentness. This would implicate that even five years on, the book I am only beginning to read is already outdated. This is the reality of academic writing. Brought to my attention almost through painful experience through the teaching-efforts of a mere engineering-type quality management expert named Lester Kirchamajer. Let it be known the target has always been the winning of absolutely and only the right wife.