Commerce among nations entered a modern era; the constrained trading between imperial powers and their colonies began to break down. World markets opened to all countries, and multilateral trade flourished. Generally, a country could sell its goods in the best market it could find and buy what is needed from the least expensive supplier. Moreover, since currencies were convertible, most transactions could be completed with cash. Barter was as antiquated as the horse-soldier. During the past few years, however, the international monetary system has begun to strain under a variety of economic changes. One important cause is the enormous burden of debt carried by Third World countries. A professor at Harvard University says, "The plain fact is that many countries are broken.
国家间商贸进入了新的纪元;帝国主义列强及其殖民地间的强制性贸易开始崩溃。世界市场向所有国家开放,多边贸易开始繁荣。一般来说,一个国家可以在其能找到的最有利的市场上销售其货物,也能从最廉价的供应商那里购得它所相应的货物。而且,因为货币可以兑换大部分交易可以用现金支付,易货贸易就像骑兵一样时过境迁了。然而,在过去的几年里国家货币体系在种种经济变化影响下,开始承受着巨大的压力。一个重要的原因是第三世界国家的巨大债务负担。哈佛大学一位教授说:“显而易见,许多国家都已经破产了。”
