2 American Illusions : Being Special & World Leadership
.
I came across Alex Haley the author of the Roots
.
One of the most important books and television series ever to appear, Roots, galvanized the nation, and created an extraordinary political, racial, social and cultural dialogue that hadn’t been seen since the publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The book sold over one million copies in the first year, and the miniseries was watched by an astonishing 130 million people. It also won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Roots opened up the minds of Americans of all colors and faiths to one of the darkest and most painful parts of America’s past.
Over the years, both Roots and Alex Haley have attracted controversy, which comes with the territory for trailblazing, iconic books, particularly on the topic of race. Some of the criticism results from whether Roots is fact or fiction and whether Alex Haley confused these two issues, a subject he addresses directly in the book. There is also the fact that Haley was sued for plagiarism when it was discovered that several dozen paragraphs in Roots were taken directly from a novel, The African, by Harold Courlander, who ultimately received a substantial financial settlement at the end of the case.
But none of the controversy affects the basic issue. Roots fostered a remarkable dialogue about not just the past, but the then present day 1970s and how America had fared since the days portrayed in Roots. Vanguard Press feels that it is important to publish Roots: The 30th Anniversary Edition to remind the generation that originally read it that there are issues that still need to be discussed and debated, and to introduce to a new and younger generation, a book that will help them understand, perhaps for the first time, the reality of what took place during the time of Roots.
.
In what respects is the book interesting ?
There is an ongoing illusion as to the centrality of the western world. 20 or 25 countries designated as the West among the world’s 193 countries.
The public may assume that we should catch the West, which is a false assumption, when we reach west, our identities are victimized. I most favor a Chinese saying that ‘let flourish thousands of flowers; a garden with only a single flower would not be a garden’. The mentality emerged out of the crusade, in fact it was rooted in ancient Greece which assumed that they were different. Following that, colonialism came; the spirit of conquest was quite high among Europeans. The kings had embarked on conquest of faraway lands before, but they had nothing to do with the identity of the defeated lands and only demanded tributes. Colonialism though, constructed the defeated countries in a way they favored. For example, in India local people was cotton farmers, the British colonialism forced them not to cultivate cotton. They imposed on the locals inhumane practices. Colonialism is a dark chapter of humanity, which continued in the form of imperialism.
How are these two (slavery and capitalism) related?
Slavery was rather an old phenomenon, with long history behind. Capitalism is a recent phenomenon, about 300 years of age. In ancient Rome, slaves were part of the Roman Empire, working in mines of salt. However, we should admit that slavery was also practiced in northern Africa by Arabs, but in small scales. But the US has extended the slavery into a profitable trade. With the rise of capitalism slavery dwindled and instead, now workers from the laity received daily wages. Slaves of course had had no rights ever. When a slave family borne children they were also treated as slaves owned by their master. During the feudal age in Europe, the slavery was practiced, and when capitalism came, workers, weekly holidays, working hours, and .etc, were created. A feature of slavery is fostering slaves. An objection often raised against the modern period is that they educate people and they steal them, brain drain. For example in India, or in Iran, elites and geniuses are the good examples. Now, a mentality in the US has been finding popularity that the young age was better for self-indulgence. They would ask why they would waste time in education. They would recruit employees from other countries for example from India and other countries, which is called by many a type of slavery. Other types of slavery were also practiced such as prostitution in eastern European countries (Albania).
What changes have been wrought in the cruelties by Dominance against the public in poor countries?
The people in the US have two illusions, which of course may not be irrelevant. First is that they are special. Second the mentality governing part of public and the government is that they could take into their own hands the fate of other people of the world. In fact, they are right, since they provide the world with great technologies and industries. The US has created an imaginary enemy as Islam to keep this mentality alive and in other countries; it would call other people for accepting US support. This is also an illusion.
Many revolutions have taken place such as French Revolution, but Islamic Revolution in Iran was greater revolution, in terms of the popularity, and it reverberated in faraway lands from Indonesia to Mauritania. The pre-Revolution system of government had been extirpated. The future events indicated that Revolution in Iran was in harmony with the future, that is, the end of the Cold War and also end of bipolar world.
.
.