links: the blessings of colonialism

[mindstalk]

From James_Nicoll:

Great Hedge of India
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hedge_of_India
maps
http://www.rmoxham.freeserve.co.uk/maps.htm
salt tax in India, health effect of deficiencies
http://www.rmoxham.freeserve.co.uk/salt%20starvation.htm
"The official figure for famine induced deaths in the 14 months from
November 1877 to December 1878 was 1,266,420" Like Pol Pot!
discussion
http://james-nicoll.livejournal.com/2156773.html

The British set up a hedge-fence down the middle of India for 100 years, to control opium trade and enforce their self-declared salt monopoly; salt taxes continued right up to independence, being one of Gandhi's issues, even after the Hedge burned down. The third link talks about how people *need* salt, especially people who sweat a lot in hot tropical climates. Like... India.

Ah, colonialism/British capitalism. A megadeath here, a megadeath there, soon it's like Communism!

In other cheerful news, Canadian customs stopped and questioned NPR journalist Amy Goodman.

Rapid expansion of the food stamp program, as honest hardworking American families continue to assume that *other* recipients are mooching off the system but they're just on hard times themselves and it's a great relief to be able to feed the kids in this time of unemployment. Says the Bush administration worked to reduce stigma, which surprised me.

Link from last month and mlc23 on General Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan. Plus this one that I haven't read yet. First one has him arguing that we should either pull out or commit a lot more forces if we want to accomplish something. He's been doing good work trying to protect the population from ourselves as well as the Taliban, but you need more troops to actually protect everyone vs. playing whack-a-mole.

Speaking of which, calls to make the wars on budget and deficit-neutral.

Comments

[jordan179.livejournal.com]

Ah, colonialism/British capitalism. A megadeath here, a megadeath there, soon it's like Communism!

Hardly "British capitalism." It was the enforcement of a State monopoly. In fact, it was late mercantilism (or early socialism, depending on which way you view it).

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the salt tax and famines of the British East India Company (megadeaths were happening a 100 years before the British government took over) aren't true capitalism.