Reviews for Government by the Gun The Unfinished Business of Fiji's 2000 Coup

The average rating for Government by the Gun The Unfinished Business of Fiji's 2000 Coup based on 2 reviews is 1.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-04-19 00:00:00 Matteo Speziale the argument in this book was very hard to follow. it's clear the scholars that wrote Government by the Gun are knowledgeable but the argument's organization was still very frazzled and obscured by too many details. I don't think this is a good book if you are relatively new to Oceanic studies, which I am. yet, I still tried hard to follow the twisty path in Government by the Gun. my understanding of Fiji is a little more solidified and perhaps the politics of Fiji truly are so complicated, it is difficult to clearly illustrate them in a book. anyway, I was able to absorb a few basic concepts that explain why Fiji is the way it is today. put bluntly...British colonization ruined everything by failing to recognize Fiji's diversity. there is no clear cut definition of who is truly a Fijian due to the Indian workers that arrived in the late 19th century and the migrants from South China far before the Europeans ever arrived. Fiji is not homogenous but Britain decided it was anyway which has bred the racial problems that plague Fiji today. Fijian "culture" doesn't catalyze the self reflection needed to undo racial perceptions. as a side note, Fiji would probably make a great case study for scholars studying racism because Fijian nationalist's racist attitudes towards the Indian population is the underlying cause for Fiji's multiple coups and poor governance. racism in Fiji has not only incited violence, hatred, and a mass exodus of the Indian population but also distracted Fijians from the real problem - corrupt governance. Fijian elite failing Fijians. consequently, the authors propose that in order to resolve the "indigenous question" Fijian history needs to be studied, nationality needs to be redefined, economic resources need to be redistributed, and state and indigenous institutions must be revamped WITHOUT blaming the Indian and other migrant populations for taking all the economic opportunities in Fiji.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-04-19 00:00:00 Byron Jackson Did not start this book. This was a mistake. I was looking for another novel with the same name. My apologies to the author.