The Reasons Why Colonialism Can Be Considered Doomed - Case Study Example

R.Preeti 7/3 COLONIALISM IS DOOMED The 20th century, predominantly, has seen the world getting divided into two, on the basis of Ideology. Capitalism and Communism have been the two decisive factors in a plethora of situations, dividing and joining people from different parts of the world. The two ideologies have divided the world, so much so that the world saw a third war---the Cold War taking place. Evidently, the two ideologies are polar opposites to each other. Capitalism is based on the idea that one's individual energies and abilities can provide a better life. This has resulted in a number of individuals working towards developing their abilities, starting business ventures and being hugely successful, running huge business enterprises et al. Communists believe in the propagating the well-being of the worker, who is left to adapt to and 'fit into' living conditions that are deplorable, while the rest are engaged in a race to prove their abilities and talents. Capitalism, though initiated with the humble notion that one's abilities and perseverance can determine the way one shapes one's life, has resulted in a rat-race. Today, one can find Capitalism taking a hugely different form. Huge conglomerates and companies exist, that have changed the way one views and lives life. In fact, Lenin's words, that 'Imperialism is the highest stage of Capitalism', had turned a reality now. This paper attempts to explore Che Guevara's speech in the General Assembly, called 'Colonialism Is Doomed'. Che's speech outlines the various ways in which the countries of the Third World, have experienced the onslaught of Capitalism, in the form of Colonialism, and today, we can see the occurrence of Neo-Colonialism. CHE GUEVARA'S SPEECH Che Guevara, the Argentine Marxist revolutionary, gave a speech in the United Nations General Assembly, on December 11, 1964. In the speech, which is exceptionally famous now, Che talks about the manner in which Colonialism, Imperialism and Capitalism have reduced the world into an imbalance between the haves and the have-nots. The speech deals with examples from Latin American, Asian and African countries, that have survived the onslaught of Colonial Powers, that have turned Capitalist today. Che talks about how the Imperialist United States has ensured that the Third World bows down in front of them. He states examples of Puerto Rico, wherein North Americans have indulged in implanting the hybrid culture of Spanish and English together. In spite of this, Puerto Ricans have safeguarded their unique culture and heritage, without bowing down to the 'Yankees'. He also cites the examples of how the Belgians, the very same receptors of racial abuse by the Germans, for not being the pure race of Aryans, were now perpetrators of racial crimes against the Congolese. He also spoke about the need for People's Republic of China to be represented in the General Assembly, and not the representation from Taiwan, since it was supported by the United States. Che states, "it must be made clear that in the area of the Caribbean, maneuvers and preparations for aggression against Cuba are taking place; off the coast of Nicaragua above all, in Costa Rica, in the Panama Canal Zone, in the Vieques Islands of Puerto Rico, in Florida, and possibly in other parts of the territory of the United States, and also, perhaps, in Honduras, Cuban mercenaries are training, as well as mercenaries of other nationalities, with a purpose that cannot be peaceful." [Che Guevara Internet Archive, 'Colonialism is Doomed', Speech delivered before the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 11, 1964, Havana, Ministry of External Relations, Information Department.] Ultimately, Che's speech is a direct assault on the United States' imperialism in the form of neo-colonialism and in the form of its activity in the Cuban Missile Crisis, impeding the free wills of the people of Cuba---a notion that the United States stands by. CHE'S SPEECH AND ITS RELEVANCE TODAY Che's speech is as relevant today as it was fifty years ago. Even today, one sees the domination of pro-Imperialist powers, especially the United States, which has been indulging in the unit-polar domination of the world, even though certain pockets of multi-polar power have emerged. The United States has been the land for those that have a dream---the American Dream that people were fascinated by, drew people to the United States. This led to people pursuing their dreams---entrepreneurship grew, industries took shape and here was a country that was way beyond the rest of the world. Brands from the country rule the roost today and it is through this, that the United States has been able to wield power. IRRESPONSIBLE CAPITALISM Capitalism, as outlined by Che in his speech and prove to be a jolt to small labour and to local industries, with special reference to today's globalised inter-dependent world. In this light, it is important to throw light on this aspect of capitalism, which is irresponsible in nature. DISRUPTION OF LOCAL INDUSTRY The entry of Kentucky Fried Chicken, popularly known as KFC, in India, has been a controversial one. The KFC chain has been subject to protests from a number of quarters. On the very first day, farmers marched onto the restaurant opening and protested against the 'junk food' served by the KFC opening. The group of angry farmers and their leader stormed to the opening of the restaurant and opined that the serving of such junk food was greatly unethical in a poor country like India. They were of the opinion that in a country like India, were malnutrition was a feature, serving such junk food was completely unethical and add to India's malnutrition problems. Moreover, it would lead to the depletion of the livestock in India and render a number of Indian farmers and livestock owners unemployed. ['KFC in India - Ethical', Case Studies and Management Resources, Case Code: BECG044, 2004, www.icmrindia.org, Extracted on 7th March, 2010] The group also felt that it would affect the agricultural primary sector that constituted a major portion of the Indian economy, and the environment adversely. It was commonly felt that once the Indian farmers felt that the entry of non-vegetarian food was affecting their options adversely, they would choose to move towards the more lucrative varieties like animal feed and meat. This would lead to the shifting of the economy and also make it difficult for the poor to procure a two-square meal per day. ['KFC in India - Ethical', Case Studies and Management Resources, Case Code: BECG044, 2004, www.icmrindia.org, Extracted on 7th March, 2010] The group protested vociferously against the concept of westernization of the Indian agricultural sector and the changing food culture of the country. It would not only have great economic implications, but also cultural and social aftermaths. TREATMENT OF ANIMALS In addition to this, KFC is one multinational food company, that has been targeted by the PETA worldwide. This is because, it falls under the criteria set by the organization, for constituting cruelty towards animals. According to the PETA, KFC chicken is subject to extreme cruelty, before it reaches the palate and tempts the taste buds of consumers. According to Ingrid Newkirk, Director, PETA, "Each bird whom KFC puts into a box or a bucket had a miserable life and a frightening death. People would be shocked to see our footage of a KFC supplier's employee who walks through a barn, carelessly lighting lamps and letting flames fall on the terrified birds. The air inside these filthy barns reeks of ammonia fumes, making it difficult for the birds to breathe. No one with a grain of compassion should set foot in KFC." ['PFA, PETA to protest outside KFC today', Tribune News Services, Ludhiana, January 22, Extracted from: www.tribuneindia.com, on 7th March, 2010.] This qualifies under the cruelty towards animals. Unethical conditions of breeding, torturous killing of animals and cruel handling is extremely prevalent in the KFC chain of restaurants and outlets. In the words of the Nanjundaswamy, "the chicken they serve is full of chemicals, and the birds are given hormones, antibiotics and arsenic chemicals to fatten them quickly." ['PFA, PETA to protest outside KFC today', Tribune News Services, Ludhiana, January 22, Extracted from: www.tribuneindia.com, on 7th March, 2010.] The PETA released a video showcasing the treatment meted out to the chickens, by the KFC chain. Protests took place outside a number of outlets, including one at Ludhiana, besides the one at Bangalore. Activists of the PFA and PETA staged a protest outside Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet in the city to "sensitize people about the cruelty being done to birds in hatcheries supplying birds to the outlet." ['PFA, PETA to protest outside KFC today', Tribune News Services, Ludhiana, January 22, Extracted from: www.tribuneindia.com, on 7th March, 2010.] ANOTHER CASE---EXPLOITATION OF WORKERS Nike Shoes are generally made in Indonesia, China and Vietnam, where the labour is cheap and where labour laws are not in place or are poorly enforced. In fact, in China and Vietnam, the law prohibits workers from forming independent trade unions. These three countries continue to be the major places where Nike shoes are made. The exploitation meted out by Nike is in the form of extremely low wages and hazardous working conditions. Nike escapes from the allegations, saying it does not own any of the factories, but only contracts the work to various factory owners. "In the first two years that Nike was in Vietnam, one factory official was convicted of physically abusing workers, another fled the country during a police investigation of sexual abuse charges and a third was under indictment for abusing workers, as reported in The New York Times." ['Sweatfree Communities: Nike Campaign', Global Exchange, 2007, http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/nike/faq.html, Extracted on 7th March, 2010.] Nike has indeed brought many jobs to Southeast Asia, and workers certainly want jobs. However, the physical and verbal abuse by supervisors or excessive work overtime for extremely low wages are certainly violation of human rights. Job creation and worker exploitation, in this case, go hand in hand. "In April 1997, 10,000 Indonesian workers went on strike over wage violations. In the same month, 1,300 workers in Vietnam went on strike demanding a one-cent-per-hour raise and in 1998, 3,000 workers in China went on strike to protest not only low wages, but hazardous working conditions."[ ['Sweatfree Communities: Nike Campaign', Global Exchange, 2007, http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/nike/faq.html, Extracted on 7th March, 2010.] In addition to the general low wages, women are also meted out with treatment that is full of disparity. In fact, they are paid lesser than the minimum wages, on the grounds that they needed higher time period for training women, when in reality, they were given training and thrown into jobs. Hence, today's conditions of Neo-Colonialism, wherein a company from the First World employs and uses labour from the rest of the world, subjecting them to hazardous work conditions and taking for granted the cheap labour available, bears direct relevance to Che Guevara's speech in the General Assembly of the United Nations. CONCLUSION Upon reading Che Guevara's speech, one understands that the call for liberty and pursuing the American Dream have in actuality resulted in huge patterns of change all across the globe. It has resulted in newer modes of exploitation of the already exploited colonies, that have just about gained Independence. While this was the reality fifty years ago, today seems no better, with newer forms of exploitation coming to the fore, in the form of Neo-Colonialism, wherein the countries that have been exploited earlier and are struggling to match shoulders with the developed countries of the world, are now targeted by tapping in on their potential for cheap labour and by being exploited in terms of their right to lead a dignified life, in the form of excruciatingly long working hours, very low wage incomes, unhealthy conditions, lacks of right to get their voices heard, and above all, disparity between the to genders, in terms of the output produced and the wage given. Hence, Che Guevara's speech still holds water today, even as the Irresponsible Capitalists invade the markets of the developing and under-developed nations, in the name of Off-shoring and uplift of the standard of living in these countries. The only ay out, as Che Guevara says, is for developing countries to make their voices heard and to utilize their potential for cheap labour to develop their on nations, rather than accepting the rule of the Neo-Colonial Powers. We have seen how opening up of markets in the developing countries has upheld this phenomenon to a large extent. In addition to this, we do find these countries grouping up and demanding for a New International Economic Order, which is a huge step forward, if adhered to. This would vindicate Che Guevara's claim that "This new will of a whole continent, America, shows itself in the cry proclaimed daily by our masses as the irrefutable expression of their decision to fight, to grasp and deter the armed hand of the invader. It is a cry that has the understanding and support of all the peoples of the world and especially of the socialist camp, headed by the Soviet Union. That cry is: "Our country or death."" [Che Guevara Internet Archive, 'Colonialism is Doomed', Speech delivered before the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 11, 1964, Havana, Ministry of External Relations, Information Department.] REFERENCES Che Guevara Internet Archive, 'Colonialism is Doomed', Speech delivered before the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 11, 1964 Havana, Ministry of External Relations, Information Department. 'PFA, PETA to protest outside KFC today', Tribune News Services, Ludhiana, January 22, Extracted from: www.tribuneindia.com, on 7th March, 2010. 'KFC in India - Ethical', Case Studies and Management Resources, Case Code: BECG044, 2004, www.icmrindia.org, Extracted on 7th March, 2010 'Samir Amin: Colonialism is Inseparable from Capitalism', Translated on Saturday 28 January 2006 by Patrick Bolland : http://www.humaniteinenglish.com/spip.phparticle70, Extracted on 7th March, 2010 Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Gareth Stedman Jones, Translated by Samuel Moore, 'The Communist manifesto' , Penguin Classics, 2002. 'Sweatfree Communities: Nike Campaign', Global Exchange, 2007, http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/nike/faq.html, Extracted on 7th March, 2010. Read More