THE RADICAL VIEW

The radical view traces its roots to Marxist political and economic theory. Radical writers argue that the multinational enterprise (MNE) is an instrument of imperialist domination. They see the MNE as a tool for exploiting host countries to the exclusive benefit of their capitalist-imperialist home countries. They argue that MNEs extract profits from the host country and take them to their home country, giving nothing of value to the host country in exchange. They note, for example, that key technology is tightly controlled by the MNE and that important jobs in the foreign subsidiaries of MNEs go to home-country nationals rather than to citizens of the host country. Because of this, according to the radical view, FDI by the MNEs of advanced capitalist nations keeps the less developed countries of the world relatively backward and dependent on advanced capitalist nations for investment, jobs, and technology. Thus, according to the extreme version of this view, no country should ever permit foreign corporations to undertake FDI, because they can never be instruments of economic development, only of economic domination. Where MNEs already exist in a country, they should be immediately nationalized.26

From 1945 until the 1980s, the radical view was very influential in the world economy. Until the collapse of communism between 1989 and 1991, the countries of eastern Europe were opposed to FDI. Similarly, communist countries elsewhere—such as China, Cambodia, and Cuba—were all opposed in principle to FDI (although, in practice, the Chinese started to allow FDI in mainland China in the 1970s). Many socialist countries—particularly in Africa, where one of the first actions of many newly independent states was to nationalize foreign-owned enterprises—also embraced the radical position. Countries whose political ideology was more nationalistic than socialistic further embraced the radical position. This was true in Iran and India, for example, both of which adopted tough policies restricting FDI and nationalized many foreign-owned enterprises. Iran is a particularly interesting case because its Islamic government, while rejecting Marxist theory, has essentially embraced the radical view that FDI by MNEs is an instrument of imperialism.

ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE India to Allow FDI from Pakistan

Improving the economic ties between the two nations, India recently announced that it will allow FDI from Pakistan paving the way for industries from the neighboring country to set up businesses in the growing Indian market. This is a prime example of how free markets are promoting trade between countries that have not traditionally enjoyed stable political relationships with each other. However, free markets are promoting trade normalization process to allow foreign direct investment from Pakistan into India. Leading to further economic activity, talks are also underway to allow banks from both the countries to open branches in each other’s territory. At present, India and Pakistan are engaged only in trade of goods, which has recently been liberalized. Several Pakistani industries and banks are keen on setting up business in India, which is possible only when a policy decision on allowing cross-border FDI is taken.

Source: www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/WorldEconomy/India-to-allow-FDI-from-Pakistan-Anand-Sharma/Article1-839942.aspx.

By the early 1990s, the radical position was in retreat almost everywhere. There seem to be three reasons for this: (1) the collapse of communism in eastern Europe; (2) the generally abysmal economic performance of those countries that embraced the radical position, and a growing belief by many of these countries that FDI can be an important source of technology and jobs and can stimulate economic growth; and (3) the strong economic performance of those developing countries that embraced capitalism rather than radical ideology (e.g., Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan).