John Rapley
Letter From
Jamaica is not a modern nation-state but a neo-medieval one; rather than ruling directly, Jamaica's politicians have allowed latter-day barons -- bondholders and gang leaders -- to take over. With the arrest of one of the most powerful barons, will the country modernize?
Essay
May/Jun
2006
The Middle Ages ended when the rise of capitalism on a national scale led to powerful states with sovereignty over particular territories and populations. Now that capitalism is operating globally, those states are eroding and a new medievalism is emerging, marked by multiple and overlapping sovereignties and identities -- particularly in the developing world, where states were never strong in the first place.
