John Pilger, one of the world’s most renowned investigative journalists, exposes the dark realities of modern imperialism in his groundbreaking documentary The New Rulers of The World. This film brings to light the brutal dictatorship of General Suharto in Indonesia, his extensive human rights violations, and the intricate web of Western complicity that facilitated his reign. Through Pilger’s incisive reporting, the world gains insight into the tragic suffering of the Indonesian masses, the greed of multinational corporations, and the sinister geopolitical strategies of the United States and Britain in pursuit of their globalization agenda.
Suharto’s Crimes: A Reign of Terror and Corruption
Suharto’s rise to power was marked by one of the most horrific massacres of the 20th century. Between 1965 and 1966, an estimated one million Indonesians were brutally killed, accused of being communists or merely suspected of opposing his regime. This mass slaughter, orchestrated with the support of Western intelligence agencies, was one of the bloodiest anti-communist purges in history.
Under Suharto’s rule, Indonesia became a country of stark inequalities. While his family and cronies amassed vast wealth, millions of ordinary Indonesians lived in extreme poverty. Just before his fall from power in 1998, Suharto and his inner circle reportedly looted around $15 billion from Indonesia’s treasury, leaving the country in financial ruin. His corruption knew no bounds, and his theft of national wealth remains one of the most egregious acts of kleptocracy in modern history.
Western Complicity: How Suharto Was Installed
One of the most shocking revelations of The New Rulers of The World is how Suharto was installed into power with the full backing of the CIA and the British government. The West had a vested interest in removing President Sukarno, Suharto’s predecessor, due to his strong anti-Western policies and his efforts to keep Indonesia independent of Western economic control.
Sukarno’s vision for Indonesia was self-reliant and free from Western economic domination. He sought to distance the country from institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, which he saw as tools of Western economic imperialism. This made him a target for regime change. The CIA, with the assistance of Britain, orchestrated a campaign to destabilize his government and pave the way for Suharto’s military takeover.
The Secret World Bank Conference
One of the most damning pieces of evidence highlighting the complicity of global financial institutions in Suharto’s dictatorship was the secret three-day conference held between the World Bank and the Indonesian government soon after Suharto seized power in the 1960s. This meeting, concealed from the public for years, laid the groundwork for Indonesia’s integration into the Western-led global economy.
During this conference, Indonesia’s natural resources and labor force were effectively sold off to Western multinational corporations. The economic policies that followed placed the country firmly in the hands of the IMF and the World Bank, which dictated terms that benefited international investors at the expense of the Indonesian people. These policies led to massive foreign debt, economic dependency, and widespread exploitation.
Exploitation by Multinational Corporations
As The New Rulers of The World vividly illustrates, Indonesia’s transformation into a haven for multinational corporations was devastating for the country’s poor. Companies like Nike and GAP set up massive sweatshops where workers, including children, were paid a pittance under appalling conditions. These corporations capitalized on Indonesia’s cheap labor force, with wages so low that many workers could barely afford basic necessities.
The documentary exposes how this exploitation was not accidental but a direct result of policies enforced by the IMF and the World Bank, ensuring that foreign investors could maximize profits at the cost of local well-being. Pilger presents heart-wrenching testimonies of factory workers, revealing the deep injustices that persist under the guise of economic development.
Globalization: A Tool for Western Domination
One of the central themes of Pilger’s documentary is how globalization, far from being a force for good, has been used by Western powers to dominate weaker nations. Indonesia, under Suharto, became a textbook case of how a nation’s sovereignty could be stripped away through economic coercion. By controlling financial institutions, dictating economic policies, and supporting corrupt leaders, the West ensured that Indonesia remained an economic colony, supplying cheap labor and resources for Western industries.
This model of globalization has been replicated in numerous countries, where local elites are enriched while the vast majority of people suffer under economic policies designed to benefit multinational corporations. The promise of prosperity has instead resulted in extreme inequality, environmental destruction, and the suppression of worker rights.
The Legacy of Suharto’s Rule
Although Suharto finally fell from power in 1998 amid mass protests, the damage he inflicted upon Indonesia remains profound. The billions stolen from the nation have never been fully recovered, and the country continues to struggle with economic disparity. Moreover, many of the multinational corporations that thrived under Suharto’s rule continue to exploit Indonesian labor, demonstrating that the system of global economic control he helped establish persists to this day.
John Pilger’s The New Rulers of The World serves as an essential wake-up call, urging viewers to recognize the hidden forces shaping global politics and economics. It exposes not just the crimes of a single dictator but the systemic exploitation that keeps developing nations in perpetual subjugation to Western interests.
Conclusion: The Need for Awareness and Resistance
The story of Suharto and the role of the West in his regime is not just history—it is a reflection of the ongoing global struggle between the powerful and the oppressed. The patterns of exploitation seen in Indonesia continue across the world, as multinational corporations and financial institutions prioritize profit over human dignity.
The New Rulers of The World challenges us to question the narratives pushed by mainstream media and to seek the truth behind global economic policies. By understanding the mechanisms of oppression, people can begin to demand justice and resist the forces that seek to exploit them. John Pilger’s work remains as relevant today as ever, shedding light on the dark realities of power and the urgent need for change.
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