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From: jay@cadre.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.politics,net.music
Subject: Re: White greed
Message-ID: <308@cadre.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 13-Feb-85 17:42:33 EST
Article-I.D.: cadre.308
Posted: Wed Feb 13 17:42:33 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Feb-85 04:46:00 EST
References: <293@cmu-cs-cad.ARPA> <80@spar.UUCP>
Reply-To: jay@cadre.ARPA (Jay Ramanathan)
Distribution: net
Organization: Decision Systems Lab., Univ. of Pgh.
Lines: 63
Keywords: Injustice, Global
Xref: watmath net.flame:8354 net.politics:7601 net.music:6101
Summary: 

>    There are many problems with America's programs to help disadvantaged
>    people. Intelligent debate is precisely what we need to create fair
>    and effective solutions to the social and economic problems facing
>    this country.
>
>    But this will never happen as long as our white population refuses
>    to face a very basic fact, namely:
>
>	White people are enjoying an inheritance that was STOLEN by
>	300 years of slavery and 100 years of legal and social prejudice.
>
>    Until white people recognize that they are simply being asked to
>    share their ill-gotten gains, there will be little room for intelligent
>    debate about anything.     [MICHAEL ELLIS, <80@spar.UUCP>]

In this connexion, I would like to focus attention on the injustice that
is being meted out by whites in South Africa, and the inability (or
lack of interest?) of any country to stop the cruelty that is going on there.
Also, till recently, Australia had a very active apartheid policy,
officially named "White Australia" policy.  Not to mention the centuries-long
dominion European countries like England, France, Portugal, Spain, Holland,
etc. have had over countries in Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

     Why am talking about all this?  Because I feel that:

(1) Injustice by man against man is not just local to one country.
    It is going on (and had gone on) *across* countries too.
(2) The so-called "developed" countries owe their position in
    world today - at least to a significant extent - to those
    poor, underdeveloped countries of Asia, Africa.
(3) Hence, it is not just charity that should be the driving force
    behind the "rich guys'" helping the "poor guys".  It is
    moral responsibility. 
    (You say, "But that's my ancestors who did all that!",
     and I say to you, "How would you like to be born in a poverty-stricken
     family in, say, Bangladesh?")

I'm sure the reader might, by this time, be feeling that my article is
out of context.  Lemme explain why I wrote it. I felt it
was a good opportunity for me to point out that, as
we are trying to remove injustice in our own society, maybe
it's time we looked out of this man-made creation called "nation"
and did something to root out the global level injustice that's
going on.

Jay Ramanathan

jay@cadre.ARPA












X: "Let's go to some far away country"
Y: "How about Wyoming?"
                   -- Scene in movie "Dog Day Afternoon"