Reading Parenti’s Imperialism 101 awoke a dormant resentment for capitalism within me. Don’t get me wrong, I love money and profits as much as the next person, but I find the degree to which we are removed from the realities of capitalism appalling. Though others may contend that Parenti is an anti-patriotic, flaming liberal, I cannot in good conscience dismiss him as such.
In fact, I think I can go as far as saying Parenti hits the nail right on the head. Reading his analysis of the manner in which historians portray capitalism’s leeching practices embarrassed me. I realized that I failed to think for myself, and rather allowed myself to be indoctrinated by European capitalism. I never questioned the underlying assumption that capitalism improves the standard of living in Third World countries. Though I have long found the belief that Western culture is somehow superior to the cultures of Asian, African, and South American suspect, I have never scrutinized the integrity of the economic endeavors of capitalist nations.
Parenti’s illustration of India pre- and post-imperialism completely debunks the myth that capitalism improves conditions for all. But more than that, it exposes capitalism as the take-no-prisoners juggernaut it is. Capitalism is not at all concerned with the interests of the perceived banana republics in its path.
I would love to say that Imperialism 101 has made an activist out of me. However, despite my new enlightenment regarding the sins of capitalism, I will almost definitely continue to patronize products that are the fruits of capitalism’s exploitation of Third World countries. As much as I sympathize with the victims of capitalism, I have to say that the mastermind behind capitalism created a watertight system. The clincher for the capitalist-imperialist system is that we are far away enough from our victims that we can pretend they do not exist. In this case, out of sight truly is out of mind.
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