John Pilger - The New Rulers of the World

The Nugget

Globalization has created vast wealth for a small elite while leading to unprecedented inequality and poverty for millions, particularly observed in nations like Indonesia where exploitation of cheap labor thrives under the guise of economic progress.

Make it stick

💰 The gap between rich and poor is wider than ever, with a few individuals controlling more wealth than entire nations.
🏭 Major brands like Nike and Gap profit handsomely despite their workers in Indonesia earning only pennies a day in terrible conditions.
📉 Debt traps from institutions like the IMF and World Bank further entrench poverty, leading countries to devote resources to servicing debt rather than improving lives.
🌍 Protests against globalization have grown globally, highlighting the violence of economic policies that harm the vulnerable.

Millions, mostly youth, have protested globalization, marking a significant movement akin to the 1960s.
While wealth creation possibilities have expanded, inequality has reached staggering levels; a few corporations dominate vast economic sectors.

Economic Conditions: Despite Indonesia’s wealth in resources, up to 70 million live in extreme poverty while a small elite enjoys luxury.
Labor Exploitation: Workers earn around $1 per day, with grueling conditions including long hours in unsanitary environments.
Corporate Practices: Major brands rely on these low wages and exploitative practices to maximize profits, often ignoring worker welfare.

U.S. and British Support: Suharto, who rose to power after mass killings, was backed by the U.S. and Britain, instigating an economic restructuring favoring Western corporations.
Mass Atrocities: Up to a million Indonesians were murdered during the 1965 coup, an event largely ignored by the international community.
Capitalism for the Rich: The system was established to ensure that wealth accumulation flowed to capitalists at the expense of human rights and equitable resources.

Debt as an Instrument of Control: The neoliberal model imposes debt on poorer nations, effectively transferring resources from the vulnerable to the wealthy.
Global Protests: Public unrest against policies imposed by global institutions highlights dissatisfaction with inequitable economic systems.
Demand for Change: There are calls to abolish the existing financial institutions and create accountable bodies that prioritize human rights and fair trade.

"The profits all the brave new world captains of industry have visions... but none have room for me."
"Here are some of the staggeringly wealthy... while as many as 70 million people live in extreme poverty."
"This is a labor camp that's home to workers who make the clothes we buy in the high streets."
"Debt has really been used as an instrument in order for the IMF and the World Bank to get their policies implemented."
"None of them is god-given; all of them can be changed."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.