New Media and Neo-colonialism - A Focus on the United States and Peru

This thesis explores the interwoven nature between the media apparatus, the government, and the business sector. I will argue that these three bodies overwhelmingly cooperate in order to maintain an economic, social and political status quo. The status quo, I will try and show, is often one that has deep roots in our colonial history. African chattel slavery in the United States, for example, which despite having been abolished in 1865, can be traced directly into the present, where, although masqueraded, continues to live on. I will try to show that the media (the news media, but also entertainment) is currently one of the most effective institutions obfuscating many of the current manifestations of colonialism. The United State will serve as to illustrate the colonial dynamic in the global core. Peru will highlight how this colonial dynamic manifests in the global periphery. In Peru I will look at a system called “gamonalismo”, a system of slavery that has some similarities with its North American counterpart, but also notable differences. However, gamonalismo, I will hope to show, has also managed to survive much longer than it should have, thanks to the media.