There has been a great deal of reporting on the “Roma” people, some well informed, some not. In the following 300 or so words I’m going to give you my impressions. For the rest of this article, my dear reader will perhaps forgive me for using the descriptor of Gypsy as opposed to Roma, the latter far too often causing confusion between Gypsies with the Romanian people.
For those of you who are interested in learning more about either, especially the Eastern European offshoots of which I’m referring, this is not for you. This is opinion.
I suppose that many who have learned anything about the North Korean people and their current plight under the most total of totalitarian states have had a variety of reactions… mostly incredulous ones.
These reactions are not aimed at the government so much as they are aimed at the people. “How could they allow anyone to treat them in such a way?” they ask. “They must be insane, or weak!” they speculate… In reality, what they see is how completely and easily generations upon generations of the human being can be reprogrammed to submit to full servility.
Government has done this before, albeit not as effectively, in the past. This is just the improved version.
I say all of this not as a grotesque non-sequitor, but more as a preamble to my point.
I believe that an individual’s culture can be just as effective as nationalism at turning them into chattel.
I believe this is the case of the children and the generations of Gypsies that are born into a culture of filth, theft, sexual and physical abuse and scavengerism. They are born without any official identity, taught and manipulated into a world of darkness and slavery in the middle of civilization.
For the longest time I wouldn’t have believed it, but I have also trembled for my safety and the safety of my possessions when a group of Gypsies hitched a ride on my train. I’ll never forget the look in their eyes… like vultures to their long lost meal they fidgeted and stared at my bag and my clothes.
It’s not racist to have such a feeling, but it is heartbreaking to have it when you’re supposed to be home for the holidays.
Much love,
Zen Politics
“Gypsy Boys” – Published January 5, 2014
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