The emergence of the economic gap and its effect on international affairs today.

Marks explains the “gap” as the difference in economic development that emerged

between Europe and the USA and India and China. This gap separated the developed

countries from the underdeveloped ones. In the nineteenth century, the populations of China

and India grew drastically as compared to that of Europe and the United States. While these

countries grew in population, their industrial and manufacturing sectors did not grow.

Towards the end of the century, Europe and the USA controlled eighty per cent of the world

manufacturing markets while China and India controlled seven and two per cent of the

market respectively. (Marks 2007 p.123)

This gap created int the nineteenth century led to the classification of different

countries in the world by comparing them by their level of industrial growth. This disparity

further led to a pattern of actions between the two classes that led to further widening of the

gap. One of these actions was that of the British forcing China to legalize the sale of opium.

Although its sale increased, Britain and USA called more to China’s ports decentralizing

trade in Hong Kong. Most farmers in china substituted the growth of cotton to that of opium.

This provided income for the peasant workers and generated income for the Chinese

government. However, by that time China had the highest consumption rate of opium that

caused adverse effects in their social and political systems. (Marks 2007 p. 128)

Another instance was the decline of India to today’s third world country. When free

trade was introduced and tariffs abolished the occupying government did not move to support

its textile weavers or industrialize the country. With free markets moving raw materials from

India to Britain, its economic position further sunk. India became a third world country,

exporting raw materials to developed countries and importing manufactured goods in return.

This situation was not helped by the natural disasters like the drought that followed. (Marks

2007 p.130
 The existence of the gap between developed and underdeveloped countries has led to

an imbalance in international affairs. Third world countries still rely heavily on aid offered by

first world countries, leaving them with huge debts they cannot pay off. This then makes it

hard for them to reduce the gap. Their economy is highly dependent on the exportation of raw

materials and importation of finished products rather than local manufacturing.

Classification imposed by this gap has led to increased competition in trade that has seen

countries impose trade tariffs in an aim to prevent the other from trading in their country.

Such is the case of trade tariffs between the USA and China which had since grown to

become an industrialized country and has one of the best economies. (Marks 2007 p.140)

Robert Marks’ gap helps understand the economic differences between developed

and underdeveloped countries explaining as to its origin. This difference has greatly

influenced the economic interactions of different countries. It helps us understand how

different countries came into their economic positions.

References.

1. Marks, Robert. The Origins Of The Modern World. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,

2007.