In the book "Freedom Next Time (2007)" written by the world’s renowned journalist and documentary filmmaker, John Pilger, gives us the prevalence of the chronicles of five countries which is, as he expresses: “about empire, its façades and the enduring struggle of people for their freedom” (Pilger, 1). It is a book of individual struggles for peace, security, and a civilized nation with strong government. The opening chapter “Stealing a Nation” is an upsetting story of San Diego which unfolds the time, about 40 years ago, that had been secretly buried away until just recently. This essay will present the synopsis of the first chapter revealing the themes relevant to sociology. “Stealing a Nation” tells the story of the British government unlawfully stripping out the original citizens from their homeland of Chagos Islands, in the 1960s. It was a paradise-like land with “a sense of well-being…could eat and drink whatever they liked…” (Pilger, 21) secretly given to the Americans to constitute their military base. By 1973, all of citizens were swept out in such a deceiving manner that it was not even suspected what was to happen with their land. Some were travelling abroad for medical purposes and once they were done with their business, they were told that Diego Garcia had been sold. When the Americans began to setup their base, they burned dogs alive with their owners helplessly watching and hearing everything. Many people died of sadness, due to the fact that their homeland had been “sold”, poverty, suicide, and poor health. The government eventually claimed to have compensated the Chagossians; many of the illiterate, Indigenous people of Diego Garcia placed in Mauritius were tricked into signing documents that said that the gov... ... middle of paper ... ... Pilger, J. (2007). Freedom next time: resisting the empire. New York: Nation Books. Steckley, J., & Letts, G. K. (2010). Elements of sociology: a critical Canadian introduction (2nd ed.). Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press. Miles, J. (2007, June 11). Toward Freedom. Book Review. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://towardfreedom.com/globalism/1055-book-review-freedom-next-time-resisting-the-empire Gardner, L. (2012, February 16). Stolen island: the shameful story of Diego Garcia hits the stage. The Guardian. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/feb/15/diego-garcia-few-man-fridays Hari, J. (2008, June 9). Freedom Next Time, by John Pilger: A hero's blinded eye. The Independent. Retrieved December 26, 2013, from http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/freedom-next-time-by-john-pilger-481558.html
Canada, G. o. (2013, 05 13). Defining Culture. Retrieved 03 12, 2014, from Statistics Canada: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/87-542-x/2011001/section/s3-eng.htm
Foner not only focuses on the dimensions of freedom, he also focuses on the second and third theme as well. The second theme covers the social conditions which makes freedom possibl...
In Chapter 8 of Major Problems in American Immigration History, the topic of focus shifts from the United States proper to the expansion and creation of the so called American Empire of the late Nineteenth Century. Unlike other contemporary colonial powers, such as Britain and France, expansion beyond the coast to foreign lands was met with mixed responses. While some argued it to be a mere continuation of Manifest Destiny, others saw it as hypocritical of the democratic spirit which had come to the United States. Whatever their reasons, as United States foreign policy shifted in the direction of direct control and acquisition, it brought forth the issue of the native inhabitants of the lands which they owned and their place in American society. Despite its long history of creating states from acquired territory, the United States had no such plans for its colonies, effectively barring its native subjects from citizenship. Chapter 8’s discussion of Colonialism and Migration reveals that this new class of American, the native, was never to be the equal of its ruler, nor would they, in neither physical nor ideological terms, join in the union of states.
Curtis, J. E., Tepperman, L., & Albanese, P. (2012). Sociology: A Canadian perspective(3rd ed.). Don Mills, Ont: Oxford University Press.
Fernandez, Ronald. The Disenchanted Island: Puerto Rico and the United States in the twentieth Century. Westport Connecticut: Praeger Publishing, 1996. PP 1-104.
Foner, Eric. "Chapter 9." Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Brief Third ed. Vol. One. New York: W.W. Norton, 2012. N. pag. Print.
Thompson, W. E., & Hickey, J. V. (2012). Society in Focus An Introduction to Sociology. In W. E. Thompson, & J. V. Hickey, Society in Focus An Introduction to Sociology (pp. 16-20). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Adams, Jerome R. Liberators and Patriots of Latin America. Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland & Company Inc., Publishers, 1991. Print.
...sea.” The extermination of the Indians is a dark, bloody mark on America’s past. Today, a new “Terrorist Problem” has emerged which finds America once again spreading its form of democracy and freedom to the “savages” in the Middle East. Meanwhile, in our own borders that we obtained through the genocide of the native inhabitants of America, a real and devastating “Illegal Immigrant Problem” is being solved by handing over our country to a nation of people who trample on the flag of the United States of America. Will we ever learn to live in harmony with our “brotherhood” throughout the world of borders, instead of killing each other for the right to fly a piece of cloth high in the sky, signifying a government’s dominance?
The idea of freedom can be seen throughout Collection 2 in our textbook. Freedom can be seen in the short story “The Censors” by Luisa Valenzuela when it talks about the freedom of speech. Addition to that, an article “A People’s History Of The 1963 March On Washington” by Charles Euchner shows freedom in its article when it talks about the segregation occurring to colored men. Lastly, freedom is shown in the graphic novel “Persepolis 2: The Story Of A Return” by Marjane Satrapi as it shows high restriction.
Macionis. J, J. Plummer, K. (2005). Sociology. A global Introduction. Pearson Education Limited. Essex. (UK) Third Edition.
Conley, Dalton. (2013). You May Ask Yourself: An Introduction to Thinking like a Sociologist (3rd edition). Columbus, OH: W. W. Norton & Company.
Foner, Eric. A. Give Me a Liberty! An American History of the World. 4th ed. of the book.
The documentary, South of the Border, informs its viewers about the conflict between South American leaders and the institutions of the United States, mainly the government and media. The events shown and narrated through the film may be interpreted with the use of sociological theories, which is the main purpose of this film analysis. This paper aims to explain the causes of the realities presented through concepts and theories from the field of Sociology.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty. 3rd ed. Vol. Two. New York: Norton &, 2011. Print.