I’m really not sure how to phrase this, but I understand that the first world enjoys a high level of material abundance, comfort, convenience, and privilege (“treats”) off of the backs of third world, sweatshop, child labour. From children mining for minerals that go into computer chips in the congo, to bengali women labouring in designer clothing sweatshops for pennies. What I don’t really have are books about that go indepth about this phenomenon and how it developed (and by this phenomenon I mean imperialism in the modern day)
I’ve only taken a cursorary glance through it but I think “A brief history of neoliberalism” by David Harvey might fit what I’m looking for
Okay, no joke the best thing I've read on modern imperialism and the flow of treats is a polisci textbook.
It's Phillip McMichael's Development and Social Change: A Global Perspective I think you can get the 6th edition for 15 bucks. It's a great overview that's clearly indebted to the anti-globalization movement and it's the most comprehensive look at modern imperialism and austerity politics I've ever read. I'd recc it to any activist working on modern imperialism tbh
Oh, and for the psychological impact of the treat economy on workers in the Imperial Core, it's gotta be Society of the Spectacle