via PRH NZ
Been listening to Joseph Conrad’s, Heart of Darkness in the little cracks of time in the day1 and as always being led to the sad and inevitable conclusion that we always fail to learn from what came before.
It was as unreal as everything else—as the philanthropic pretence of the whole concern, as their talk, as their government, as their show of work. The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages. They intrigued and slandered and hated each other only on that account—but as to effectually lifting a little finger—oh, no.
By heavens! there is something after all in the world allowing one man to steal a horse while another must not look at a halter. Steal a horse straight out. Very well. He has done it. Perhaps he can ride. But there is a way of looking at a halter that would provoke the most charitable of saints into a kick.
Aaron Swartz had to give his life for his beliefs, yet when the robber barons thieve everything is suddenly alright.
Greed, like love, never dies!
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after hearing it being heavily referred to, in The Rest is History’s episodes on the rape, pillage and exploitation of the Congo (Episodes 538-541) ↩︎