Empire bashing

[patman post]

For some colonies, the people were probably relatively 'lucky' to be in the British Empire rather than, say, the Spanish Empire. 

Bit of a blinkered view and backhanded condemnation. I doubt anyone can identify any indigenous peoples in the modern era who were better and happier for having been subjugated by any coloniser...?

[T00ts]

All to often it seems that we get attacked over elements of our historic culture that we jettisoned centuries ago, by people who cling to a "traditional culture" of their own, that was dragged out of the stone age and should have been dumped over a thousand years ago!

For all this "take a Knee" and Slavery business, a real form of slavery is still alive and kicking in this country. If we had any balls, Criminalse Arranged Marriage without delay. In reality there is no thing as an arranged marriage, it is simply a forced marriage, where the girl is simply to scared or brow beaten to dare complain. Call it out for what it is  - sex slavery. It has no place in the 21st Century.

Oh yes I am with you all the way - Forum Cabinet! - That's our first law and Borchester! Provide the funds to set up enough monitoring.

[Sampanviking]

All to often it seems that we get attacked over elements of our historic culture that we jettisoned centuries ago, by people who cling to a "traditional culture" of their own, that was dragged out of the stone age and should have been dumped over a thousand years ago!

For all this "take a Knee" and Slavery business, a real form of slavery is still alive and kicking in this country. If we had any balls, Criminalse Arranged Marriage without delay. In reality there is no thing as an arranged marriage, it is simply a forced marriage, where the girl is simply to scared or brow beaten to dare complain. Call it out for what it is  - sex slavery. It has no place in the 21st Century.

[Borchester]

We had an Empire. We managed to make ships that crossed the seas and travelled much of the world to places that the West had never seen. We found stuff and brought it home and plundered what we found for wealth. We weren't alone though. So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny? What about Spain, Portugal, Italy (Rome) to name a few? Are they having to drag down statues, rename institutions and apologise every couple of months for the past? Or is it just us that feel the need to bend the knee and rest our necks on the chopping block for our ancestors?

It is just the liberals. They like the idea of some big black chap coming over and giving them a jolly good thrashing and then picking up the toilet brush and making them bend over and.....

To the rest of us, the British Empire was then and this is now and we have run out of guilt.

what have the Normans and Romans ever done for us, I guess some people miss the hilarity.

Well, the Romans introduced rhubarb and the Normans sugar. I am not sure who we have to thank for the chickens and milk cows, but a nation feed on rhubarb and custard can't help but rule the world.

[HDQQ]

In its day the British Empire was good in some ways and bad in others, just like the other empires.  For some colonies, the people were probably relatively 'lucky' to be in the British Empire rather than, say, the Spanish Empire. 

We no longer have an empire and it's highly unlikely we ever will again. It's all in the past now and so it's important that the true history of the empire, both good and bad is taught to people. 

Britain did find a new role as a member of the EU, but sadly that's gone now and too many people these days are harking back to the past as consolation for the present, when even the continued existence of the UK as a nation is uncertain. 

[Good old]

The history is what it is.  Human evolution is , from beginning to end about one group taking advantage Of another,  sometimes in the extreme,.
The  history of England, and the U.K., is not so different to any  of the other nations  that have tended to dominate other lesser nations ,and with it trade in those areas of influence.  All have been guilty to one degree or another of dishing out inhuman treatment at times. The people in their time that did these things had no excuse, IN OUR TIME.
But our time is our time. We need not excuse our selves . None of us chose our birth.   There should  be acknowledgement . but no apology. And the reason for that is the history is what it is , it can not be changed . 
If it's a case of our still taking advantage or not considering Human rights. In this day and age that's quiet different.  But no apology can alter our history.

The problem is that people are still suffering to.this day as a consequence, and as a consequence of outmoded beliefs that still make people act like monsters.

The Obama white house released a document about how Bill Clinton and Gates KNEW about the rapidly unfolding Rwandan genocide, before it happened; stoked by the CIA and the French. My Godfather saw it up close as a cameraman, he saw wheelbarrows piled up with chopped up bits of dead kids. Today, Kagame, who had a hand in the events is Rwanda's prize winning president. What?

That's the kind of sick f**k world we live in, that's the reality.

Some people will just view 'weak' countries as inferior and rip them off non-stop and control them. The truth is that Africa should be filthy rich with all its mineral etc wealth..

Yes the world is still a very nasty dangerous place . It is true to say we should expect people doing business and influencing the politics of the third world , to only act in an honourable way. The reality is they don't.
Africa, should be filthy rich. Do the Africans have no say or input as to why it doesn't appear to be so.?
Not being sarcastic, I really don't know exactly how the majority of African nations are set up.

[Borg Refinery]

The history is what it is.  Human evolution is , from beginning to end about one group taking advantage Of another,  sometimes in the extreme,.
The  history of England, and the U.K., is not so different to any  of the other nations  that have tended to dominate other lesser nations ,and with it trade in those areas of influence.  All have been guilty to one degree or another of dishing out inhuman treatment at times. The people in their time that did these things had no excuse, IN OUR TIME.
But our time is our time. We need not excuse our selves . None of us chose our birth.   There should  be acknowledgement . but no apology. And the reason for that is the history is what it is , it can not be changed . 
If it's a case of our still taking advantage or not considering Human rights. In this day and age that's quiet different.  But no apology can alter our history.

The problem is that people are still suffering to.this day as a consequence, and as a consequence of outmoded beliefs that still make people act like monsters.

The Obama white house released a document about how Bill Clinton and Gates KNEW about the rapidly unfolding Rwandan genocide, before it happened; stoked by the CIA and the French. My Godfather saw it up close as a cameraman, he saw wheelbarrows piled up with chopped up bits of dead kids. Today, Kagame, who had a hand in the events is Rwanda's prize winning president. What?

That's the kind of sick F@@@ world we live in, that's the reality.

Some people will just view 'weak' countries as inferior and rip them off non-stop and control them. The truth is that Africa should be filthy rich with all its mineral etc wealth..

[Good old]

The history is what it is.  Human evolution is , from beginning to end about one group taking advantage Of another,  sometimes in the extreme,.
The  history of England, and the U.K., is not so different to any  of the other nations  that have tended to dominate other lesser nations ,and with it trade in those areas of influence.  All have been guilty to one degree or another of dishing out inhuman treatment at times. The people in their time that did these things had no excuse, IN OUR TIME.
But our time is our time. We need not excuse our selves . None of us chose our birth.   There should  be acknowledgement . but no apology. And the reason for that is the history is what it is , it can not be changed . 
If it's a case of our still taking advantage or not considering Human rights. In this day and age that's quiet different.  But no apology can alter our history.

[Sheepy]

We had an Empire. We managed to make ships that crossed the seas and travelled much of the world to places that the West had never seen. We found stuff and brought it home and plundered what we found for wealth. We weren't alone though. So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny? What about Spain, Portugal, Italy (Rome) to name a few? Are they having to drag down statues, rename institutions and apologise every couple of months for the past? Or is it just us that feel the need to bend the knee and rest our necks on the chopping block for our ancestors?

speak for yourself toots, I never had an empire or wanted one.

[Sheepy]

We had an Empire. We managed to make ships that crossed the seas and travelled much of the world to places that the West had never seen. We found stuff and brought it home and plundered what we found for wealth. We weren't alone though. So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny? What about Spain, Portugal, Italy (Rome) to name a few? Are they having to drag down statues, rename institutions and apologise every couple of months for the past? Or is it just us that feel the need to bend the knee and rest our necks on the chopping block for our ancestors?

It is just the liberals. They like the idea of some big black chap coming over and giving them a jolly good thrashing and then picking up the toilet brush and making them bend over and.....

To the rest of us, the British Empire was then and this is now and we have run out of guilt.

what have the Normans and Romans ever done for us, I guess some people miss the hilarity.

[papasmurf]

Recent news item about Belgium:-

More at link:-

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-belgium-tunnel/belgium-seeks-new-name-for-road-tunnel-as-it-takes-on-colonial-past-idUKKBN25Z21E

Belgium seeks new name for road tunnel as it takes on colonial past
By Bart Biesemans, Clement Rossignol

2 MIN READ


BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Brussels has asked its residents to pick a new name for the King Leopold II road tunnel in a step aimed at coming to terms with Belgium's colonial past and addressing gender inequality.

[Borg Refinery]

Could it be that all countries have things to answer for and a history to acknowledge instead of revising it, including African and middle eastern ex Empires?

For example, you wouldn't deny the truth of the Pontos genocide by the Turks, or the genocide against Armenians. Why shouldn't we acknowledge every facet of history?

Oh I know, because the power-mad brokers who caused these events and their powerful ancestors, and now-defenders don't want these things acknowledged, and that's true around the world.

Like I said before, if we were ruled today by black pagan empires, if they came out on top, then I'd be saying white Christians are the main objects of persecution today, and be saying the same things about them.

..And would probably be accused of being the equivalent to a "n***er lover" (blanco lover?) because that's how dumb humans are as a species.

[patman post]

So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny? What about Spain, Portugal, Italy (Rome) to name a few? Are they having to drag down statues, rename institutions and apologise every couple of months for the past? Or is it just us that feel the need to bend the knee and rest our necks on the chopping block for our ancestors?

Maybe you're only picking up the vibes from your own bubble. The Austrians, Dutch, French, Germans, Italians, Portuguese, Turks and others among our European neighbours are having to deal with their pasts too — some even have laws against debating/denying what happened and their countries' parts in these pasts.
Why is it surprising UK media reports and comments on events in the UK that draw attention to some of the UK's past less reputable activities?
Seems to me it's a grown up thing to recognise one's history, warts and all. It's more mature than having our hackles rise, or deflecting the discussion by saying others did it too any time someone suggests that it's inappropriate to only celebrate and commemorate past achievements if they happened through violence and oppression.
And remember some of these actions took place in the British Isles, some as recently as during the 20th century...

[Borchester]

We had an Empire. We managed to make ships that crossed the seas and travelled much of the world to places that the West had never seen. We found stuff and brought it home and plundered what we found for wealth. We weren't alone though. So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny? What about Spain, Portugal, Italy (Rome) to name a few? Are they having to drag down statues, rename institutions and apologise every couple of months for the past? Or is it just us that feel the need to bend the knee and rest our necks on the chopping block for our ancestors?

It is just the liberals. They like the idea of some big black chap coming over and giving them a jolly good thrashing and then picking up the toilet brush and making them bend over and.....

To the rest of us, the British Empire was then and this is now and we have run out of guilt.

[papasmurf]

So is the British Empire the only one coming under such scrutiny?

It isn't, the only one, UK media is in general not reporting such foreign new unless some British are killed.