Stealing a Nation
8.58
Ratings: 8.58/10 from 538
users.
Hidden from Parliament and the U.S. Congress, the deal was this: the Americans wanted the island, in their words, swept and sanitized. An entire population was declared expendable; all of them were to be deported.
Stealing a Nation (John Pilger, 2004) is an extraordinary film about the plight of people of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean - secretly and brutally expelled from their homeland by British governments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, to make way for an American military base. The base, on the main island of Diego Garcia, was a launch pad for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
The book, "America's Monetary Mess" outlines the story of how the Federal Reserve became the agent of the Communists to destroy America's currency. Find out how the author didn't file his 1040 for 5 years, ran away to Europe, and when he turned himself in, was given a 1 year work release sentence.
I cried
Your documentary is one such that I haven't seen! Horrible and just unacceptable! These countries should own their mistakes now as it is transparent now! Come on! Don't guide or talk on human rights and humanity anymore. Do what you are doing and done for these people by taking their land or nation! Still time to own and make the decision and apologize and give compensation to the citizens.
Several things are wrong with this documentary.
The islands when first found and adapted for use by the British, as a port of call on the way to Australasia was decades before anyone else arrived on the islands. In fact many of the residents were brought by the British to the islands as laborers to carry out building works on the islands.
These people say they were not compensated....wtf £3000 was a hell of a lot of money in those days, in fact it was over a years wage for my father who was in the British Army.
That would have been plenty of money to get a nice place in England let alone Mauritius.
What was failed to be mentioned was an outbreak or rabies on the island. unfortunately animals at risk in those days would have been put down, to limit the spread of infection.
Finally one thing I noticed through all this was how well dressed and how well equipped the solicitors office was, if he really felt like he says he does then he wold have been taking his money and moving the people out of the squalor.
There seems to be a lot of people around these people with lots of money.
Rating 2.4 Misleading misinformation and lots of exaggeration at little things to prove little or no point. Pointing out that someones had racist opinions in those days is like pointing at slavery and blaming everybody now for their attitude then. Our attitudes have changed and we have become more acceptable of others as we have grown, but the one thing remains unchanged....There are 2 peoples you cannot rely on Journalists and Lawyers.
Recommended.
We didn't know much about this -- this is a serious violation of human rights by my country (the US) and the UK.
Where do we rate it?
My wife gives 9.2, I give it 9.5.
Mr. {proud in us} is why bush and trump are around
First, the title is misleading because it's not a nation. It's part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, and as a territory of the United Kingdom the UK was within its rights to relocate the residents of the islands. Some ignorant people here claiming the UK or US governments did anything wrong need to learns the facts of the situation and the law. And one person brought up Bikini Atoll, the US government has on numerous occasions compensated the former residents of the atoll and also promised to let them move back once it is safe to do so (they have to make sure it's not still radioactive)
An important film to watch. How about another film about the entire South Hemisphere on the planet with very (White) few exceptions, dominated by the Northern hemisphere. South America and Africa bankrupted by the World Bank and financial institutions thinking in "those places" as "inhabited" by "people like them". The film clearly shows an international Apartheid motivated by racism and power. How wonderful would be to "decode power" so the masses wake up from the hypnosis created by ruling kings and the establishment that is never satisfied of greedy and power in this dark and unjust XXI century. The world would be democratic then, and only then.
Like I've always said, Britain is just America's b*tch.And that's coming from a British citizen !!!
Dirty bastards
I guess this confirms what I've always known - the British government sucks as bad as the ruthless, greedy, power-hungry idiots in D.C. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!! COOK THE RICH AND FEED THE POOR!!
At the root, we have a group people (specifically, a European descended people) that employ violence and manipulation in order to acquire (a.k.a. steal, take by force, or "gentrify") the property/skills/talent of another group of people (usually of non-Caucasian descent). Don't me wrong -- the Establishment exists among ALL peoples.. The unfortunate thing is, the main beneficiaries of this behavioral tactic are Caucasian peoples (even the African that does the same to his own is most likely a black face serving as the curtain before a white Oz; chances are the African is operating in the interests of their "former" colonizer). Thing is, too many folks tend to: 1 - have empathy for the colonizer, but not the colonized; AND 2 - discredit the experiences of "certain" target groups (i.e. the descendants of African slaves in the U.S. particular, and Native Americans who are still in a position of dependency upon the U.S. Govt. - the original abuser), simply because their bondage is no longer occurring in full view of the general (white) public. With a few exceptions, the brutality of the treatment is no longer as blatantly physical (i.e. no leg irons, shackles, no public whippings while hanging from the side of a tree, no scalping, not cutting off of noses, and no rape..). "After all, they live next door now...One of them is even President!" (:-l ) America/Europe better get it together.. Remember, at some point "the piper WILL be paid"..
Anyone who has even had the most cursory of glimpses into the west's
imperialistic history can hardly be shocked by the outrage of this
heartless theft. However, one thing this documentary does expose that is
shocking is the sheer open level of hateful contempt by the imperial
powers regarding these poor natives.
The vindictiveness of the
scheming and racist tone of the exchanges between the officials are so
blatant that they sound more like something from several centuries ago,
rather than within this last.
It is clear to see that sometimes
the government do not just 'not care' about ordinary people; we can see
in this doc that on occasions they quite literally hate people and
especially minorities.
They hate even having to think about
them, and the wrinkles of disgust that the interviewed politicians on
here barely conceal speaks volumes; thinking of the Chagosians makes
them feel bad, and they hope most of them will die soon so they won't be
inconvenienced by what they perceive as worthless and irrelevant lives.
they did the same thing when they took Kosovo from Serbia....Albanians got it under one condition...let us have a military base now that Berlin has to go....Democracy in action.
Thank you for ALL your great work on behalf of ALL of us Mr P.. a great Australian.. selfless compassionate and creating consciousness in all your works !
Many more Please!!
Doc
There is no International law for poor helpless humans as us all,onlly for the rich,but by the time Intern. law applies for them they have lived65 years of their emberassing life,and as most will pay their way out with the big $$.Most laws dont even apply thwe rich we should know that...
The British inhumane colonial crime continues on -- But there will be more to address these past wrongs -- by way of the development of the Economic Forensics ... doing so globally - Just to address the on going crimes like here of the Chago people.
This is why, folks -- the world outside of the Anglo American world there has to be formed and created the university course to be named Economic Forensics. Besides these victims from the island -- there has to be the courses to study the origin and plan of the planned crimes. Be that of the old colonialism -- as we can start with the Opium Holocaust of China, where 100 million Chinese perished from the Indian grown opium by the Brits. 170,000 tons of silver were extracted from China by all the treaties. That alone, in today's value is over 500 trillions. Then India, then Africa -- How the Oppenheimers and Rhodes had taken all the gold and diamond out of Africa-- All and all, funded by the Rothschild and their in laws -- the opium Sassoons.
The world will not be able to shake these war bankers and their collaborative puppet regimes to have created more wars, bogus wars from Vietnam to Iraq -- why ? Because wars can wipe out all existing accounts -- such as the 4 trillion of the Pentagon debt -- that will never be paid up -- and why ? The presence of the non government war banks called the Federal Reserve with fiat currencies just like the European Central Bank.
War becomes an industry for these two nations -- manipulated by the war bankers and their collaborators of the weapon industry. The victims of Chagos is just one of the many war crimes created by these war thugs. Economic Forensics will allow all nations to re-study of the past crimes - created by false money and their war criminals.
Why somebody/group/nation has to proof his good intention of philanthropy or mettle by building martial bases far away from their own homelands ? Are there no other means to maintain peace, integrity and express solidarity? How could someone from outside understand the citizens born in their own country within a very short period of time and start taking decisions on behalf of them? One has to stay long beside them and become one of them .Some people need very little to live and some love excess and grandeur.These people who were content with their meagre provisions is practically an example how to lead life with satisfaction and is a model for this world how to utilise resources judiciously and remain unaffected by recessions. Some think their means of living is unscientific and they cannot sustain on their own and cannot defend themselves from the disasters.It cannot always be true because they are adapted to this environment. If something happens, others can always assist. In fact with this system of alienation we are loosing valuable wisdom,well nurtured cultures, simple techniques etc.. Isn't their humility and self-restraint a glaring show of mental and cultural advancement which can be cherished by posterity without any disgrace? One should think twice before being condescending.
Poverty is the end result of the failure to adjust to CHANGE. These things happen in most countries the world over leading to suffering and hunger or deprivation. News is modern corporations suffer from market irrelevance and the consequence is bankruptcy and unemployment. There are a lot of similarities or common experiences that these islanders suffer with street people living in American ghettos who fail to adjust or face trials and disappointments in life..
Point is the first few interviews show exactly why the islanders got displaced. They want to lead the idyllic life rather than assimilate by change and progress. How I wish they asked for jobs or work, but no, they would rather turn back time. Maybe it is carelessness or indifference of the authorities to their plight which preserved and permitted the rise of familiar sub-culture within former colonies like Pakistan and India that suffer ignorance, hunger and poverty today despite record breaking economic progress.
Incidentally this is what environmentalism today hopes for too: a return to nature and resistance to technological change. Problem is such lifestyles have become the issue for neo socialism where government is expected to fund for everything without realizing that is the easiest formula for poverty.
WOW too many accusations on US and UK citizens.
Remember one thing "The observance of morals and ethics is secondary to the interest of the ruler."- Chanakya. Every one other than a ruler is a solider and its their job to do what they r told for their country, which actually is not for their country but for 1 mans ambition. I realized it when i read General Dyer's interview He said" I would have killed more Indians if more troops were provided as it was my job to put the fear of government into hearts of people who oppose it". I am an Indian and as much as some1 thinks I hate UK i don't, I love it and their people. Politics and Prostitution are the oldest traits of mankind. The world was never right, nor it is now and it will never be, but one day it will all end may that be by any reason 5th Ice age by magnetic pole reversal, sun burns out of its fuel or anything else ^_^ till then read history, live in the present and thing about the future.
Disgusting behaviour by those that would be quickest to punish you for not paying you're tax.
Just another in a long line of documentaries that exposes just how messed up humanity really is. (nothing else need be said!)
I don't believe in god, I wish i could then it would have been easier to believe that god will punish them. But hey wait if we look at the history we find that every great civilization met its fate, I wish i witness that in my lifetime.
Wow, powerful...definitely NOT in your textbook.