This book examines how the political system of the Phillippines remains dominated by a competitive elite who oppose any significant attempts to address the country's huge social inequalities. The way out, he argues, is through the wholesale overhaul of the system of governance, leading to a new development strategy based on more, not less, state intervention, the domestic market as the driver of growth, and working together with other countries in the South.

Praise

Whatever subject he tackles, Walden Bello is always thoughtful, trenchant and constructive. He's also an authentic hero of the global justice movement."--Susan George

"Walden Bello is the world's leading no-nonsense revolutionary."--Naomi Klein, author, No Logo

About the Author(s)

By Walden Bello, Herbert Docena and Marissa de Guzman

Walden Bello is the founding Director of Focus on the Global South, a policy research institute based in Bangkok, Thailand.

Table of Contents

Introduction- requiem for the EDSA system? * The political economy of permanent crisis * Agrarian Reform: the promise and the reality * The neoliberal revolution and the Asian financial crisis * Multilateral punishment; the Philippines in the WTO, 1995-2003 * The panacea of privatization * Unsustainable Development * Corruption and Poverty: barking up the wrong tree? * Conclusion