Freedom Next Time
Nov 1, 2009 History, Politics and Society
I was lucky enough to get my copy of freedom next time at a Pilger talk in London. He’s is both well spoken and confident and this very much comes across in his writing. Pilger tends to focus a lot of his material on the US, yet in this release he focuses on 5 locations around the world and how western policies have affected them.
In the US Pilger is often branded as an extreme left-winger and thrown in with the likes of Chomsky, however Pilgers solid understanding of world politics and big business is well thought out and rigorously researched. There’s no pushing of political idealism just rigorous analysis of the events that have occurred, reflected against how our media chooses to report these issues and the possible reasoning behind it.
Whilst it’s not an easy read, this book will leave you feeling a little dejected, it’s an important read and is no doubt the focus of much debate. The book contains missing headlines and unreported stories and leaves you questioning why our media fails to cover these obviously important issues.
Description: In “Freedom Next Time”, Pilger looks at five countries, in each of which a long struggle for freedom has taken place; in each the people, having shed blood and dreams, are still waiting. In Afghanistan, Iraq and South Africa, there has been the promise of hope, and even an ‘official’ freedom, but the reality of these divided societies is that they are still waiting for real freedom. In Palestine, the cycle of violence continues with no resolution in sight. And the island of Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, is a microcosm of the ruthlessness of great powers.
The island was sold by the British to the American military in the 1960s. The indigenous population, descended from slaves, were forcibly removed to the slums of Port Louis in Mauritius. They have continued to fight for the return of their homeland ever since – three years ago the High Court granted them the right of return, but this has subsequently been blocked. The island remains the US’s third biggest military base; a base from which they are able to launch attacks against the Middle East. Once again, John Pilger gives a voice to the people living through these momentous times and, in gripping detail, shows us the lives behind the headlines.
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