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A return to imperialism
Sep 17, 2025
I fear we’ve all got it wrong. The changes we are seeing are not about traditional authoritarianism nor about new-Nazism, nor fascism. To understand the global changes we’re seeing, you have to go back into history to see the great expansions, the great empire building, the great periods of innovation and discovery. I am not sure which came first, happenstance technological innovations or the need for those innovations but the outcome was always the same: conquering of new peoples, socio-economic benefit at home with the advantage of exploitation abroad, and, never least, corrupted morals in the headlong pursuit of riches for nations and the very few. If you have any doubt of that, just look at the stately homes of Britain — all bought, paid for, off the backs of the labor of the poorest and other countries’ peoples and resources.
Out of the Industrial Revolution in Britain came iron rule of the seas, the British Colonies, and pillage of resources and labor across the globe. Sure, much was undertaken in the name of the East India Company (a quasi-governmental corporation), but Belgium had a similar foreign enterprise in the Congo, Spain in S. America and Meso-America, France in parts of Africa and S. America, Portugal in Brazil, the Dutch in the East Indies and India, Russia in northern Europe and the Balkans, Italy in Ethiopia, and so on. China and Japan went for self-isolation (much as Trump professes to be doing for America — which may be a ruse) and it took China and Japan 150 years to change their minds and come out roaring and causing global instability.
To see where we, as a planet, are heading, you have to stop and ask the purpose of the sudden, dramatic, expansion of new inventions, the huge financial profits and benefits only flowing into even newer technologies for their owners. Specifically, technology is now making the impossible possible and that is raw power that has no control. Like the products of the Industrial Revolution (steam power, electricity, metalworking, inventions galore), today’s new tools are the backbone of the new elite, the new barons of industry, and they are following a well tread path of past industrialists of conquer, subdue, reap rewards only for the few and their hangers-on. To do that, they either have to control the power brokers and governments or they have to so corrupt the political systems across the globe so as to gain free reign over the resources they need to achieve their goals.
The earth will suffer. Culture will suffer. People will suffer. Take Britain’s 1800s past for example: Think of the pea-soup smog fogs in Britain, think of the Victorian cultural strictures, think of the 75-year battle to outlaw slavery, most of which was a British enterprise at the time — although Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, and the USA were deeply involved. Think the suffering of the new industrial revolution is over? See the modern pea-soup smog in Beijing? Or today’s famine in Gaza and the Sudan? How about the Ukraine? The current list is long and lengthening.
Now we see Putin, Xi, Modi, along with a handful of world leaders including Iran, Slovakia, Malaysia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Serbia, and North Korea chumming it up as they begin the industrial two-step of carving out personal (not national) power possibilities. Some of those possibilities may well be setting conditions for populations to decrease as reliance on machines becomes commonplace (factories) — why have to support the poor? Some of those possibilities may be medical advances to only prolong the lives of the richer elite at the cost of stopping vaccines and better medicine for the masses (think R.F. Kennedy Jr.). And, top of the list of control changes these new industrialists are pushing is cultural control. They know they have to change our open liberal society — forged at the close of WWII — to a more controllable one. And so perversion of the media is paramount across every platform. All across the planet, culture is under attack, from killing journalists, to book burning, to twisting facts and truth. It is not just in America, although here in MAGA world, that is plenty obvious.
This new industrial revolution has set out to change the globe, destroy liberal morals, build the elite, and change followers into believers desperate to “fit in.” Brown and black shirts of the 30’s become red hats with acronyms. The evidence is already there, but most western media is focused on the truthful day-to-day legal/political travesties, the political corruption of elections, the buying up of media conglomerates, and sexual deviant stories all the while the new barons of technology enjoy the political and media smoke screen to hide what they are truly up to: strategizing, globally, with allies, to secure a non-liberal future at the cost of most of the mores, values, and chances for most of us. Ask 99% of the British, French, Dutch, Spanish populations in the mid-1800s if they had any living comfort, control, or life-expectancy hopes and dreams. Ask their kids back then, many in forced labor, or families in debtor’s prisons.
It was not by accident that the great culturalist Charles Dickens wrote the industrial-age moral truth of these elitists in “A Christmas Carol,” quoting Scrooge: “If they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population…” Sadly, his words ring evermore true today.
Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, New York, now lives in Gila, New Mexico.
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Call for civility, tolerance & respect
Sep 17, 2025
Be careful how you react to differences of political opinion, it could be deadly. In the past I thought money and greed brought out the worst in individuals. That thought just moved to second place replaced by radical politics and evil.
Recently we witnessed the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, by a radically deranged person reacting to the constant assault of political hate by politicians. Mainstream and social media spewing divisive words — fascist, racist, phobic this or that, socialist — whatever the coordinated flavor of the day may be.
Charlie was gaining too much popularity, especially among young people and college students. The assassin engraved ‘fascist’ on the bullet casing meant to kill him.
Political violence is the norm these days; our enemies should not be our fellow Americans. It’s hard to be a Christian and contain your rage; it’s one political side inciting hate and blaming the other.
Civility and common decency is declining. Search your souls and stop this hateful rhetoric. It’s turning deadly.
We must create a new day of tolerance and respect or eventually be destroyed in this evil stew of intolerance. Farewell Charlie Kirk. May God embrace you and grant you peace which was denied you on Earth. May your followers of tolerance and peace grow by the thousands under your guidance.
God bless you patriotic readers and your families. teach your children and grandchildren tolerance and to be open-minded. Til next time.
Town of North East resident Larry Conklin is a Vietnam veteran and a member of both the Millerton American Legion Post 178 and the VFW Post 6851. in North Canaan, Connecticut.
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The following excerpts from The Millerton News were compiled by Kathleen Spahn and Rhiannon Leo-Jameson of the North East-Millerton Library.
September 20, 1934
‘$5,000 Loss In Midnight Fire At Shekomeko’; SHEKOMEKO—A midnight fire levelled the blacksmith shop owned by George Hunt, destroyed a fifty passenger school bus of the Pine Plains Central School and an automobile owned by James Decker last Wednesday night here with a loss of more than $5.000. The Pine Plains Fire Department answered the alarm, but was unable to reach the scene of the blaze, which was six miles from the station, in time to save the building. The firemen were credited with saving other nearby buildings which were threatened, including the Community Hall, the Dairymen’s League milk station and several residences.
‘About Millerton’; Miss Ethel S. Kimball has returned to her duties at the Millerton National Bank and reports a very pleasant vacation.
Miss Helen Gormley, of Amenia, is assisting at Shufelt’s Bargain Basement this week.
Miss Janet Jenks left Wednesday for Pawtucket, R. I., where she will be the guest of Miss Barbara Kyle.
William and Ernest Hilperts-Hauser are attending the Eastern States Exposition at Springfield, Mass., this week.
Willard S. Vail is enjoying a vacation this week from his duties at Shufelt’s store
Miss Louise Merwin, of New York City, spent the week-end with her mother at Irondale.
September 18, 1975
‘Rudd Pond Deal Profit Likely’; The Town of North East may make a profit of several thousand dollars from its unprecedented operation of Rudd Pond this summer, according to figures released this week.
The State had abruptly closed the Taconic State Park at Rudd Pond on May 22 without evaluating the impact on the surrounding community. After huge protest from residents the state agreed to allow the Town to operate the park for the summer season. It was the first time such an agreement had been made in New York State.
‘Village Chases Water Funds’; Millerton’s Village Board will actively begin seeking Federal funds to aid in the creation of a pollution-free water system as result of action taken at the Board’s Sept. 10 meeting.
Millerton Mayor John Hermans reported that he met with FHA representatives in early September. “It looks like we might get some money for our project if we ever do it,” said Hermans.
Meanwhile, of the Village’s 3 monthly water samples given to the County Health Department, 2 failed inspection tests.
‘A New Library’; Alice Robertson of Stanfordville, chairman of the Board of the First Church of Christ Scientist in Millerton, hands over the church building’s deed to Shirley Conklin, president of the Millerton Free Library Association. The library will move into the former church within the next few months.
‘Veterans Day Restored To Nov. 11 Of Each Year’; Representative Hamilton Fish Jr. (R-N.Y.) this week announced the Congress has passed legislation, which he has sponsored, restoring Nov. 11 of each year as Veterans Day.
September 21, 2000
‘Tower Back In The News’; NORTH EAST-At a public hearing before the North East Planning Board last Wednesday, Sept. 13, Silver Mountain residents again voiced forceful opposition to the replacement of a communications tower off Perotti Road in North East.
The free-wheeling hearing ended in a 4-1 decision by the board to side with the town’s attorney, Warren Replansky, in calling the proposed tower a “reconstruction” of an existing tower. As such, the project would face less scrutiny by the board before receiving a permit from the building inspector.
‘Cheerleaders Attend Camp In Penn., For Prowess Earn Awards’; GREELEY, PA — Ninth-graders Tracy Robertson. Danielle Harvey, Dana Murphy, Tabbatha Sugrue and Erika Carrubba enthusiastically attended cheerleading camp to represent Webutuck High School.
At the awards ceremony, the Webutuck cheerleaders took a Superior Trophy, 10 ribbons and a much-coveted Spirit Stick.
‘MFD Fights Oil Spill On Main Street’; MILLERTON — It wasn’t exactly the Exxon Valdez, but Main Street became a slippery slope last week as an unknown vehicle spilled gallons of motor oil onto the road.
Village Mayor Michael Cawley called the Millerton Fire Department around 4 p.m. Friday after he drove his van west on Route 44, tried to brake for the light at Route 22 and skidded all the way from the former Stitch-In-Time storefront into the intersection.
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