Watching Richard Attenborough’s fine 1982 film Gandhi, one sees just how a colony of empire operates. The Indian people were treated as not even 2nd class citizens, and with it went all the injustices one can imagine.
The Brits, ever so shrewd, as an empire, made sure that they had Indian police and military in the frontlines of their occupation. Of course, the high echelon decisions as to who gets arrested and who gets shot were made by white Anglo Saxons. The Indians were allowed to run their own small businesses, etc., but all the big ventures were created and profited by Brits. A caste system existed, with or without the British, but it was all in the interests of the British. As with all imperialistic ventures, there would always be a small segment of the colony’s indigenous population that would be able to get educated, and able to serve their colonial masters.
Ask yourself this: How are we, in this 21st century Amerika, that much different? Yes, we have the right to vote for all citizens (except many ex-cons) 18 and over, but who really can we vote for? The system is such that moneyed interests, the super rich, have the bought and paid for influence as to who can hold office within this rigged two-party con job. Both parties are subservient to the super rich. The facade of this being a democratic republic has really been exposed more now than ever before with this current presidential horse race. Both Clinton and Trump represent the super rich, and, in fact, are super rich themselves! This Military Industrial Empire really could not give a rat’s ass as to which of the two stooges wins. As with most colonies of an empire, the general public has been dumbed down so much that it is easy to manipulate them via propaganda and spin.
Two recent non-related news stories are worth commenting on. First off, we have the continuous police shooting and killing of unarmed people of color throughout our nation. Relating to Gandhi’s India, our police have always seemed to be following the dictum ‘To Protect and Serve’ but emphasizing the protection and serving of property owners over that of the average citizen. This writer’s grandfather was involved in massive labor strikes in NYC during the Great Depression. Always the case was the police having the duty to protect the owners of property, a.k.a. businesses,’ over that of the workers. Companies hired goons and armed thugs to suppress strikers, and this had been going on for over a century. Yet, with a few exceptions, the cops always came out swinging against the strikers and not the company goons. In Gandhi’s India such was always the case, and why not, for it was just a colony.
The second news story that gathers mainstream media steam is about the obscene price gauging done by Mylan Pharmaceuticals on their product EpiPen. This anti-allergy reaction product had seen a price increase of 500% since 2007, and it is NOT covered by most insurance plans. Of course, even if it were covered, many insurance plans have such high deductibles that those in need would still have to shell out the $600 for a double treatment pack. Under angry questioning by members of Congress, Heather Brasch, CEO of Mylan and daughter of a U.S senator (who earned around $ 20 million last year) acknowledged that a double dose pack costs Mylan around $64. All we heard from the usual Johnny and Jane come lately Congress people was how there needed to be more competition for a similar product to EpiPen. Anyone with half a brain knows that with competition the cost would perhaps drop down to over half ($300) or maybe by a fourth ($150). How in the hell would a parent with a kid needing this life-saving treatment afford that? No, what should have been debated, and our Military Industrial Empire would never allow this, was the idea that health care and medicine should be completely socialized. The Big Pharma companies get plenty of Uncle Sam’s aid for research and development as is. Why should they be for profit? Imagine if we nationalized companies like Mylan, how much would that medicine cost as a nonprofit item? Food for thought.
In Gandhi’s India, street protest was deemed unlawful, and the imperialist British clamped down on it. Gandhi had to spend literally years in prison and he was always one who used non-violent, non-cooperation to the unjust laws and practices of the Brits. It is not easy for any of we who care to practice peaceful civil disobedience and find ourselves in jail . . . even for a brief stay. Many working stiffs do just that, we work for our livings 9 to 5 and cannot afford to miss even one or two paychecks. Yet, when the day comes when enough of us stand together in peaceful street protest on an important issue . . . things can and will change. The one thing that the masters of empire cannot control is when the masses stand out there together on an issue. Even sheer force may be futile when millions, standing together, demand economic and political justice. Food for thought again.
Philip A Farruggio is son and grandson of Brooklyn, NY. longshoremen. A graduate of Brooklyn College (class of ’74 with a BA in Speech & Theater), he is a freelance columnist posted on World News Trust, Nation of Change Blog, Op Ed News,TheSleuthJournal.com, The Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House, Dandelion Salad, Activist Post, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch and many other sites worldwide. Philip works as an environmental products sales rep and has been a street corner protest activist leader and Green Party member since 2000. In 2010 he became a local spokesperson for the 25% Solution Movement to Save Our Cities by cutting military spending 25%. Philip can be reached at PAF1222@bellsouth.net.
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Amerika, a colony of empire
Posted on September 29, 2016 by Philip A Farruggio
Watching Richard Attenborough’s fine 1982 film Gandhi, one sees just how a colony of empire operates. The Indian people were treated as not even 2nd class citizens, and with it went all the injustices one can imagine.
The Brits, ever so shrewd, as an empire, made sure that they had Indian police and military in the frontlines of their occupation. Of course, the high echelon decisions as to who gets arrested and who gets shot were made by white Anglo Saxons. The Indians were allowed to run their own small businesses, etc., but all the big ventures were created and profited by Brits. A caste system existed, with or without the British, but it was all in the interests of the British. As with all imperialistic ventures, there would always be a small segment of the colony’s indigenous population that would be able to get educated, and able to serve their colonial masters.
Ask yourself this: How are we, in this 21st century Amerika, that much different? Yes, we have the right to vote for all citizens (except many ex-cons) 18 and over, but who really can we vote for? The system is such that moneyed interests, the super rich, have the bought and paid for influence as to who can hold office within this rigged two-party con job. Both parties are subservient to the super rich. The facade of this being a democratic republic has really been exposed more now than ever before with this current presidential horse race. Both Clinton and Trump represent the super rich, and, in fact, are super rich themselves! This Military Industrial Empire really could not give a rat’s ass as to which of the two stooges wins. As with most colonies of an empire, the general public has been dumbed down so much that it is easy to manipulate them via propaganda and spin.
Two recent non-related news stories are worth commenting on. First off, we have the continuous police shooting and killing of unarmed people of color throughout our nation. Relating to Gandhi’s India, our police have always seemed to be following the dictum ‘To Protect and Serve’ but emphasizing the protection and serving of property owners over that of the average citizen. This writer’s grandfather was involved in massive labor strikes in NYC during the Great Depression. Always the case was the police having the duty to protect the owners of property, a.k.a. businesses,’ over that of the workers. Companies hired goons and armed thugs to suppress strikers, and this had been going on for over a century. Yet, with a few exceptions, the cops always came out swinging against the strikers and not the company goons. In Gandhi’s India such was always the case, and why not, for it was just a colony.
The second news story that gathers mainstream media steam is about the obscene price gauging done by Mylan Pharmaceuticals on their product EpiPen. This anti-allergy reaction product had seen a price increase of 500% since 2007, and it is NOT covered by most insurance plans. Of course, even if it were covered, many insurance plans have such high deductibles that those in need would still have to shell out the $600 for a double treatment pack. Under angry questioning by members of Congress, Heather Brasch, CEO of Mylan and daughter of a U.S senator (who earned around $ 20 million last year) acknowledged that a double dose pack costs Mylan around $64. All we heard from the usual Johnny and Jane come lately Congress people was how there needed to be more competition for a similar product to EpiPen. Anyone with half a brain knows that with competition the cost would perhaps drop down to over half ($300) or maybe by a fourth ($150). How in the hell would a parent with a kid needing this life-saving treatment afford that? No, what should have been debated, and our Military Industrial Empire would never allow this, was the idea that health care and medicine should be completely socialized. The Big Pharma companies get plenty of Uncle Sam’s aid for research and development as is. Why should they be for profit? Imagine if we nationalized companies like Mylan, how much would that medicine cost as a nonprofit item? Food for thought.
In Gandhi’s India, street protest was deemed unlawful, and the imperialist British clamped down on it. Gandhi had to spend literally years in prison and he was always one who used non-violent, non-cooperation to the unjust laws and practices of the Brits. It is not easy for any of we who care to practice peaceful civil disobedience and find ourselves in jail . . . even for a brief stay. Many working stiffs do just that, we work for our livings 9 to 5 and cannot afford to miss even one or two paychecks. Yet, when the day comes when enough of us stand together in peaceful street protest on an important issue . . . things can and will change. The one thing that the masters of empire cannot control is when the masses stand out there together on an issue. Even sheer force may be futile when millions, standing together, demand economic and political justice. Food for thought again.
Philip A Farruggio is son and grandson of Brooklyn, NY. longshoremen. A graduate of Brooklyn College (class of ’74 with a BA in Speech & Theater), he is a freelance columnist posted on World News Trust, Nation of Change Blog, Op Ed News,TheSleuthJournal.com, The Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House, Dandelion Salad, Activist Post, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch and many other sites worldwide. Philip works as an environmental products sales rep and has been a street corner protest activist leader and Green Party member since 2000. In 2010 he became a local spokesperson for the 25% Solution Movement to Save Our Cities by cutting military spending 25%. Philip can be reached at PAF1222@bellsouth.net.