Seriously Screwed Up Response

King Leopold's Ghost has provided extremely thorough details on the events surrounding the colonization of the Congo by Leopold, includes the psychology of those who chose to participate in the atrocities of the Congo. However, this book has not drastically changed my view on the modern issues of exploration and exploitation. First of all, the book goes explains how the majority of the "villains" of the Congo ordeal had traumatic childhoods and dubious morals before traveling to Africa, Stanley and Leopold for example. The Congo just allowed these troubled people to act out without the external double checks present in Europe. Expecting immoral people to act moral under without authoritative corrections - it was illegal to murder or enslave people back in Europe - is unrealistic.

Also the premises of exploration does not exactly apply to the modern world. Besides the deepest trenches in at the bottom of the sea and the far reaches of space, people have essentially mapped the entire world. There are no "dark areas" like that of Africa in the early 1900's. Additionally, the modern day person has almost immediate knowledge of the events all over the world. From the video footage of the Arab Spring to the coverage of the Indian gang rape scandal, the average American (or citizen of a developed region) can follow major international events.  In terms of exploitation, this book has not drastically altered my perspective. Exploitation  by definition, is an immoral action, whether it is needlessly destroying resources or using slave labor.  I already had a clear stance on this issue, so Hochschild's book recount of the horrific and wasteful exploitation of the native lands by particular regime, just added more support to my preordained perspective.

While King Leopold's Ghost does not significantly alter my perspective on the modern issues of exploitation and exploration, the book does chronicle some extremely corrosive elements of humanity. Similar to memoirs of the survivors of the Holocaust, it sheds light on the harshness of the world the value of modernization and civilization. Only through the intervention of the moral citizens United States, England and some of the other European countries was Leopold and his employees stopped. Although the literal details and and moral implications are not directly applicable to the modern day, it King Leopold's Ghost contributes to the understanding of humanity.