When the Indians complain that the English have enslaved them it is as if drunkards complained that the spirit-dealers ...have enslaved them. You tell them that they might give up drinking, but they reply ...they cannot abstain, and that they must have alcohol to keep up their energy.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote compares Indian complaints of English enslavement to drunkards blaming alcohol, suggesting dependence on oppression.
- In plain terms
- It likens blaming the English to drunkards blaming alcohol.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize dependence on oppressive systems.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does dependence perpetuate oppression?
- What alternatives exist?
Another view
Analogy may be offensive to some readers.
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