Written by Jannatul Islam
"People are poor! People are homeless! People are rude! People don’t know manners!!! Seriously!!!! We can all see what is in front of us. If we want to understand the situation and the root causes of human suffering, we have to consider the role of colonization. You know why? We see what we are expected to see, we eat what we are expected to eat, and we think what we are expected to think. We proclaim ourselves as free individuals, but in reality, we are manipulated, walking in shoes not our own. These are the pains and root causes of racism and discrimination in our society.
We understand that money begets money, but do we consider how money multiplies? Money multiplies through exploitation, through the use of others' blood and sweat. Money multiplies through domination and occupation, culturally, economically, politically, and physically. Without domination and occupation, one cannot control what people consume. I see colonization simply as domination and occupation for the sake of exploitation, nothing more.
Now, let's consider how colonization occurs. Let's return to the old teachings, the time-tested methods of critical thinking such as the Socratic Method or Dialectical Method. Let's ask and search for the most basic answers. What do we eat? What do we wear? What entertains us? And how do we consume, dress, live, or entertain ourselves? Let's strip it down to the basics. Do we produce what we consume or wear or enjoy? Do we have a say in these matters? Are we part of the decision-making process regarding our basic needs for survival? If you scale the answers according to these questions, you might be surprised. We have little say in how we live. We can merely change our location and exchange products or services that are controlled—controlled by powers or authorities where we have little voice."