Global Apartheid – Closing the Gap

By Devin Prevost

The issue of global apartheid is complex and can be argued that it traces back many of centuries, until when the world was being settled by European conquers after 1492. But what exactly is global apartheid? Simple. It is the division of wealth between people. I say “people” because a huge range of groups fall under that. Countries, ethnic backgrounds, gender, etc. all fall under that term. Wealth can be defined as how much value in goods one owns or possesses. Now you may be wondering, how did these gaps grow? What caused it? What are happening to these gaps now? What can be done to close the gaps? All of these questions can, and will be addressed, individually and in depth. For now we’ll start with the basics.

Ok, so how and who caused this global apartheid? Many historians argue that this split was caused by the imperialistic nations of Europe after 1492. The creation of colonies all over the world caused massive underdevelopment that is still observable today, more so in Africa, Southeast Asia, South America and Central America. Europeans, for centuries, robbed these places of their natural resources, and exploited their people through slave labor. Sucking as much wealth as they could from these areas, the colonies became poor, filthy and disease ridden, while the mother country experienced incredible amounts of wealth. Genocide of entire groups occurred. Ancient Indian tribes such as the Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans were virtually wiped away by Spaniards and smallpox, purposely inflicted upon the natives through infested blankets.

In North America, African slaves were being imported by the tens of thousands through the Triangle Slave Trade, and being put to work in cotton and tobacco fields for large white plantation owners. This capitalist system enriched the whites and enchained the blacks. This is the foundation in which America was built on. Whites in America retained their European descendant’s beliefs of superiority and combined it with the capitalist system. This combination, effectively, has lead up to our modern day problems, and our own spreading apartheid.

Global Apartheid is one issue. It is seen all over the world but has one similar root. Globally, areas will be examined and focus on what caused the split between the rich and the poor. Going further, we will see what is happening within these gaps in different countries. Finally, solutions will be given. Solutions that can cause immediate change and others that will come in effect over long periods of time. The United States will be examined in many aspects such as education, taxes, racial wealth, etc. Accordingly, solutions will be given that work to create wealth in the community and individual wealth on a global scale, not just in the United States.