An
eminent Latin American journalist, novelist and writer, Eduardo Galeano's
"The Upside-Down World" looks at the uneasy relationship between
North and South America. Galeano was greatly disturbed by the political turmoil
in Latin America. He was imprisoned when the military regime took over and was
forced to exile.
He critiques the capitalist forces that practice
"international terrorism against poor countries, and against the poor of
all countries". He provides us with an eloquent and passionate take on the
First World privileges and assumptions. Though beautifully written, the essay
falls short of an academic treatise, as he does not provide enough data to back
up his assertions.
He notes how times have become so pessimistic that
poverty no longer evokes a sense of indignation. He does not state what we do
not know, but he states what we choose to be ignorant about. "Fear"
becomes the keyword here. Fear drives our economies, societies and destinies.
He says, "unarmed forces of civil society face frequent harassment from
the powerful, at times with bullets". The rich are fearful to let go of
their power, the poor are fearful of the rich because of the power they
possess. It becomes an unending cycle.
“Twin totalitarianisms plaque the world: the
dictatorships of consumer society and obligatory injustice”, he states. He
harshly criticizes the notion of ‘Equalisation’ as a crime that that mass media
and pop culture commits. Galeano presents us with the reality which should not
have been.
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