Long live colonialism!

I didn’t say that. Others are saying it: those quick to condemn and slow to join the dots. Usual suspects.

Colonialism has had its day. No one in their right mind, which rules out the EU, wants to colonise nations to plunder their resources, goodwill and foist their values on an indigenous peoples who want to make up their own minds and manage their own affairs thank you very much. Von der Liar take note.

Not that I’m apologising for Britain’s actions in previous centuries. History happened during its own time. Blighty did some good things and we did some bad things, judged by today’s standards. I looked into it a wee while ago (here) and concluded that Blighty shouldn’t be ashamed of our history or pay reparations. Let’s sort out modern-day slavery instead. The concept of white privilege is an anathema to commonsense and community cohesion. It’s like Brexit vs Covid etc. all over again: impossible to unpick what caused which, who benefited/suffered to what extent and who would have fared differently if Britain hadn’t become a colonial power. Impossible to say, far too complex, far too many variables. Park it, zip it and jog on. 

So why this blog now? Because those who lecture the loudest about the iniquities of Britain’s colonial past are themselves advocating colonialism, 21st-century style. 

First off, those pushing for a ban on importing hunting trophies to the UK. Who am I kidding; they want to ban hunting altogether. Their argument is that hunting animals for the sake of hunting is morally bereft, cruel, wipes-out species and the UK shouldn’t be encouraging it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not wild about the practice, would never do it myself, and would like to think there was a better way to achieve multiple honourable objectives without unintended consequences. Unfortunately, nah. What actually happens is that hunting is allowed under strict licences at sustainable levels so that the species survive and the profits go towards local conservation and community empowerment. No licences mean no money means no conservation, and the local communities suffer as well, so they poach animals for food and income. Or they run into the arms of China. But the key thing for this blog is that some so-called compassionate Brits are foisting their values and opinions on ‘the Global South’ and hindering these nations from self-determination, which is colonialism through the back door.

Another example is the push for net-zero in Blighty that is out-sourcing our environmental and social damage to the Global South. It’s a sweep-it-under-the-carpet, greenwashing strategy worthy of the largest corporates. Our increasing use of batteries requires copious amounts of minerals that are mined in Africa and can lead to environmental degradation and social abuses. Once again, Britain benefits at the expense of other nations. That’s an ugly face of colonialism, but the net-zero discourse is so dominant and distorting that African miners and the African environment are being sacrificed on its altar. You want to lower carbon emissions? Stop flying, take the train, stop shopping at Primark, turn off the lights, turn down the thermostat, and eat locally produced food. Oh, and support the Whitehaven coal mine – it’s a global net-zero win-win. Trust me. I read the documents and spoke to the experts. Unlike the protesters.

Then there’s the animal-rightist vegans who are pushing for no-animal-protein diets anywhere and everywhere. Well, if I had to survive on a typical Global South income, I’d be grateful for every fish, every ostrich (scrummy), every whatever-animal I could kill or rear to feed my family. What right has a pious, western, middle-class ivory towerer to determine otherwise? Here's one: George Monbiot. Do you think hunger/nutrient deficiency is why he’s so grumpy? I watched a debate on YouTube not too long ago. An eloquent, fact-filled, polite, witty Allan Savory wiped the floor with laboured, fanciful, rude, testy Monbiot. (Reminded me of a pre-referendum debate when Brexiteer Lamont triumphed over remoaners Cable and Burnham.)

But I digress, as is my want.

Moving on from just the C word (colonialism) to add the D word (democracy). Many corners of the world are unstable, corrupt, the bowels of hell. One problem is democratic nations foisting democracy on areas where it was never going to work because of their extant societal structures and it isn’t in their psyche. I’m thinking of the Arab Spring, which is now a long, hard, inglorious, tragic worse-than-winter that has spread beyond the confines of those nations initially caught up in the fervour. Ironic that it all started with the birthplace of democracy – Britain – abusing democracy – i.e. Tony Blair – to take us into an illegal war so he could colonise other nations with democracy as his legacy. Just because we think democracy is the morally superior form of Government doesn’t mean it will work for everyone – it clearly doesn’t. We criticise the Christian missionaries for historically wiping out local faiths and societal underpinnings. The parallels are obvious.

And now we want to colonise other planets in order to save this one. It’ll all end in tears.