714: Adam Hochschild, part 3: King Leopold’s Ghost
Adam‘s book Bury the Chains inspired me to see British abolitionism as a role model movement for sustainability. The writing was simple and clear. The subject inspirational and relevant. We talked about it in our first episodes, which I recommend.
At last I read his most renowned book, King Leopold’s Ghost, which we talk about in this episode. I came to it after reading Heart of Darkness, which it complements. Regular readers know how much I’ve found imperialism, colonialism, and slavery. King Leopold’s Ghost covers the case of Belgium’s king pulling it off while cultivating a philanthropic reputation. It’s shocking and more relevant than ever, given the continuing imperialism, colonialism, and slavery in Africa today, now for our cell phones and electric vehicles. They aren’t clean, green, or renewable.
Adam shares the highlights of the story. Again, the writing is simple and clear so I recommend the whole book. Start with our conversation. King Leopold’s Ghost is as relevant to today as any book. If you’re concerned about the environment and how corporations and government can promote themselves as green while behaving the opposite, I can’t recommend it enough.