Part 007 - PAMPHLET 037 007

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in the other developed capitalist countries also appeared. Thus the internationalization of capital was accelerated and the economies of the capitalist world were brought under the domination of the multinational companies of the US and other developed capitalist countries. With the rapid internationalization of capital through multinational companies, new changes took place in the mutual relations between capitalist countries. Before the second world war the capitalist powers engaged in fierce competition to seize commodity markets and spheres of influence, and this led to destructive armed clashes and wars. It can be said that both the first and second world wars were the results of the sharpening contradictions and antag- onism between the capitalist powers. As the internationaliza- tion of capital progressed after the second world war, however, the capitalist powers depended on and collaborated with each other economically and technically. Previously they had expanded great energies on competing with and defeating each other, but, from that time onwards, they joined hands to oppose socialism and intensify capitalist exploitation and plunder. It might be said that the greatest change in the capitalist world since the second world war has been that the capitalist powers have gone over from dog-eat-dog relations to those of alignment and cooperation. Of course, this does not mean that no contradiction exists between the capitalist powers, but now this is of secondary importance and alignment is the basis of their relations. During the 40 years since the end of the second world war there have been more than 170 wars, major and minor, but none of them has been fought between capitalist powers themselves; rather their military alignment has been strengthened through military blocs. 3