Doug Henwood wrote:
> Daniel Davies wrote:
>
> >"Mass-murdering imperial nation" is a tautology. And
> >in terms of mass murders attributable directly to
> >viciousness and brutality rather than to the
> >viciousness and brutality which were intrinsic to
> >historically inevitable production relations, the
> >British Empire was better than most. You can
> >criticise a capitalist for being a monster, but not
> >for being a capitalist, and the vast majority of the
> >Empire's victims were victims of capitalism, not
> >monstrosity.
>
> It takes monsters for capitalism/imperialism to work, though.
>
> But check out Mike Davis' new book, where you can read about the
> British administrators of India happily letting millions starve in
> the name of market prices and fiscal rectitude, and blaming the
> shiftlessness of the Indians for their dire situation. Monstrosity is
> one of several words that come to mind.
>
> Doug