[Marxism] Weak bourgeoisie and Balkanization [Re: Second and final on the quiz]

[S. Artesian]

Just one more thing....the 1703 Treaty of Methuen agreed to with Britain had 
3 provisions, the last one providing that English woolens would be admitted 
to Portugal duty-free in exchange for similar treatment of Portuguese wine 
in Britain.

By the middle of the 18th century, the Portuguese monarchy was fed up with 
the treaty and in 1755 the monarch told his secretary for the overseas 
dominions, the Marques de Pombal to do something.  Which he did...chartering 
royal trading houses, encouraging local manufacture, and most of all, 
closing Brazil's ports to all foreign shipping.  Of course, encouraging 
local manufacture and agriculture ran afoul of the mercantile monopoly 
Portugal wished to maintain.  Pombal was shown the door, after awhile.

What we see here is the "regressive"  mercantile-feudal alliance maintaining 
itself in empire by reproducing, demanding the reproduction, of the very 
same backwardness of the mother country.