An Analysis of John A. Hobson's Imperialism: A Study (The Macat Library)
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Hobson's 1902 book presents an original and controversial interpretation of the forces that motivated Britain to conquer foreign lands in the eighteenth century. He proposes that ultra-wealthy financiers consciously worked to manipulate political leaders, all so they could invest money and sell goods in the outposts of a country's empire. Hobson built his argument on an economic theory he called "underconsumptionism," claiming that the wealthy had accumulated much more money than they could ever invest at home. New British territories gave them an ideal environment to place their money abroad. Dismissed and scorned in Hobson's lifetime, imperialism is now seen as an important and powerful criticism of imperial policy. Book jacket.