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Editor’s letter newint.org
We need to talk about the rich
‘Exclusive’, ‘discreet’, ‘private’, ‘bespoke’. The words used to describe goods and services aimed at the rich – who are increasingly the super-rich – speak volumes.
So, we found while putting together this issue, do agency photos of the wealthy. If you type in search terms like ‘poor’ or ‘poverty’ you will see any number of images of people, mainly in the Global South, that will give you a spontaneous, close-up view of their lives. You can see people eating, sleeping, working, playing; on the streets, in the fields, inside their homes. A search for ‘rich’ or ‘wealthy’ is more likely to produce staged public events such as conferences, award ceremonies or gallery openings. Unless ‘snatched’ by despised paparazzi, pictures of wealthy people in their home, work or play environments tend to be rather posed and controlled affairs.
The subjects often come across as distant, removed, insulated from the tawdry world of mundane reality. A surprising number of the more arty studio shots are cropped so that their heads are missing – which is taking detachment a bit far.
Today, the detachment of the rich from the rest of us is more than just a matter of style. In this month’s Big Story we join the dots between runaway riches and the global recession. We turn the spotlight on the actions of a global élite and its impact on millions of people around the world. Which is why our title – The feral rich – pulls no punches.
Other features in this issue may be more heart-warming. ‘Good news from Greece’ sounds like an oxymoron, but Alexandra Saliba’s investigation into what people are doing to support each other through the crisis helps restore faith in humanity. She visited 11 grassroots collectives engaged in activities ranging from developing local fair trade and alternative currencies, to running rebel kitchens and preventing suicide. Some of the initiatives have received media attention; for others, this is a first.
And, as usual at this time, we present our stunning alternative take on the previous 12 months with our Unreported Year photo special. ■
vanessa baird for the New Internationalist Co-operative newint.org
This month’s contributors include:
Urvashi Butalia is an Indian writer and publisher who contributed to our View from the South column for many years. She founded the non-profit publishing house Zubaan in 2003.
Alexandra Saliba is a documentary filmmaker and blogger living in Athens. She has been following the emergence of grassroots alternatives and collective action in Greece.
Mantoe Phakathi is a senior reporter working for The Nation Magazine based in Swaziland. She covers mainly politics, human rights, and development issues. She recently completed an investigative journalism fellowship in Johannesburg.
Sarah John is an illustrator and painter, based in London. Having worked with New Internationalist for over 20 years, she has travelled, through her illustrations, across many continents and cultures.
Coming next month
40 years young On the 40th anniversary of its first issue, New Internationalist looks back over the four decades in the life of the world that the magazine has covered. Is the 2013 of privatization, smartphones and debt crisis caused by bankers any better in human terms than the 1970s world of state planning, telexes and debt crisis caused by bankers? How much progress has the human family made in terms of improving life expectancy, challenging poverty and reducing inequality? And whatever happened to the idea of ‘world development’ that inspired the magazine’s founders?
The special issue will also hear from a few of the key individuals featured in the magazine over the years to see what has happened to them since.
Amongst the other features in the magazine next month will be an in-depth report from Mongolia, a debate on whether male circumcision is justifiable, and a country profile of Egypt as it enters another period of uncertainty.
N e w I n t e r n at i o n a l i s t ● jan ua r y / f e b r ua r y 2 013 ● 3
