Democide; Redefined
I remember back to my younger days of history class, learning about ancient civilizations, kings, wars, and revolution. I learned about all of the genocides, massacres, and human slaughtering of many innocent people, with man always on a conquest for more land and power. This mass murdering has continued up until this very day, and is far more common than any type of war or revolution. But from I was told, history is recorded so in the future, we won’t repeat it. According to “Statistics of Democide: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900”, throughout the 20th century, almost 170 (possibly 360) million people have been murdered by their governments. These deaths approximate to almost four times those from civil and international …show more content…
has knowingly allowed this to happen. In hopes of economic growth and increasing corporate profits, the United States is committing a form of democide that must be stopped. What one must first know is the term genocide, “the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group” (Webster). Democide, yet closely related, is “ murder of any person or people by a government, including genocide, politicide, and mass murder”. (Murder) To put in plain terms, genocide refers to killing of minorities, while democide is more focused towards the general population.
Walk into any grocery store in America and look at the aisles upon aisles of chips, candy, soda, and any other tasty snacks that we all know and love. Walk into a gas station, and if older than 18, buy a pack of cigarettes, maybe some chips, and don’t forget about that Snickers bar. Don’t forget to travel to a farm that grows produce for American supermarkets, and watch them spray pesticides over all their crops too. The reason for all this lies in the U.S. sole focus on economic growth no matter the costs, including the health of the general …show more content…
According to “Rich Food, Poor Food” ingredients commonly used in up to 80% of all American convenience food have been banned by other countries, with information about which countries banned each substance and why (Calton). Ranging from soda, or sugary artificial candy and carcinogenic ‘potato’ chips, many of the products are banned around the world in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, and sometimes the entire European Union. The FDA, in spite of this, seems quite alright with these disease-linked substances that are laced within the food supply. And the USDA and EPA, other United States government funded food safety departments that controls the quality of our meat and produce, approved a highly dangerous pesticide that the European Union had banned just prior due to fears of environmental damage and public health (Colten). It does not make any logical sense as to why a country would knowingly allow its’ people to consume these foods and toxic chemicals. The capitalistic market of the United States makes it all about corporate profits, and creating economic prosperity and growth, at all costs, with the government stunningly turning a blind
I remember back to my younger days of history class, learning about ancient civilizations, kings, wars, and revolution. I learned about all of the genocides, massacres, and human slaughtering of many innocent people, with man always on a conquest for more land and power. This mass murdering has continued up until this very day, and is far more common than any type of war or revolution. But from I was told, history is recorded so in the future, we won’t repeat it. According to “Statistics of Democide: Genocide and Mass Murder Since 1900”, throughout the 20th century, almost 170 (possibly 360) million people have been murdered by their governments. These deaths approximate to almost four times those from civil and international …show more content…
has knowingly allowed this to happen. In hopes of economic growth and increasing corporate profits, the United States is committing a form of democide that must be stopped. What one must first know is the term genocide, “the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group” (Webster). Democide, yet closely related, is “ murder of any person or people by a government, including genocide, politicide, and mass murder”. (Murder) To put in plain terms, genocide refers to killing of minorities, while democide is more focused towards the general population.
Walk into any grocery store in America and look at the aisles upon aisles of chips, candy, soda, and any other tasty snacks that we all know and love. Walk into a gas station, and if older than 18, buy a pack of cigarettes, maybe some chips, and don’t forget about that Snickers bar. Don’t forget to travel to a farm that grows produce for American supermarkets, and watch them spray pesticides over all their crops too. The reason for all this lies in the U.S. sole focus on economic growth no matter the costs, including the health of the general …show more content…
According to “Rich Food, Poor Food” ingredients commonly used in up to 80% of all American convenience food have been banned by other countries, with information about which countries banned each substance and why (Calton). Ranging from soda, or sugary artificial candy and carcinogenic ‘potato’ chips, many of the products are banned around the world in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, and sometimes the entire European Union. The FDA, in spite of this, seems quite alright with these disease-linked substances that are laced within the food supply. And the USDA and EPA, other United States government funded food safety departments that controls the quality of our meat and produce, approved a highly dangerous pesticide that the European Union had banned just prior due to fears of environmental damage and public health (Colten). It does not make any logical sense as to why a country would knowingly allow its’ people to consume these foods and toxic chemicals. The capitalistic market of the United States makes it all about corporate profits, and creating economic prosperity and growth, at all costs, with the government stunningly turning a blind