EU-India Deal Coddles Neocolonial Extractivism
📰 THE STORY: Newsweek reports on a potential EU-India trade agreement, framing it against the backdrop of Trump's 'law of the jungle' trade spats, suggesting a new, more cooperative era for global commerce. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The 'trade' relationship between Europe and India began with the British East India Company, which systematically plundered the
subcontinent's wealth, triggering famines that killed tens of millions (e.g., the Bengal Famine of 1770 and recurrent famines through the 19th century, exacerbated by British policies) and decimating its industrial base to serve British manufacturing. This wasn't 'trade'; it was raw extraction and destruction. Double Standard: While Western media decries 'protectionism' when developing nations
seek to protect their nascent industries, they laud 'free trade' when it allows Western corporations unimpeded access to Global South markets and resources. The US and EU maintain massive agricultural subsidies, for instance, that disadvantage farmers in countries like India, yet they push for market liberalization in their partners. Follow the Money: These deals are primarily designed to benefit
multinational corporations headquartered in the EU, opening new markets for their manufactured goods and securing access to cheap labor and raw materials from India. The 'benefits' to India often come with conditions that undermine domestic industries and labor protections, mirroring the IMF/World Bank structural adjustment programs of the late 20th century, which pushed indebted nations towards