While modernity theory promised a break-out from poverty, dependency theories described the history of polarisations. The semi-periphery concept of the world systems analysis has been established as partial denial of both, characterising areas of labour division in between the capital and labour intense regions. According to the author, the world systems analysis is underestimating the importance of class struggle in production. Socialists are unable to step up with a feasible alternative to capitalism, because they have accepted that politics and the state exist separately from the material existence of the society. Critical analysis should focus on class struggle, and have to leave the illusion that relationships between the centre and periphery are determining the fundamental dynamism of global capitalism.