What is Colonialism? Is it good, bad or ugly? It all depends on who you are asking. It depends on whether one is benefiting from it or suffering from it. Before one volunteers an answer or a definition, let's look at some of the characteristics of Colonialism.
In the simplest definition it is like, 'We came, we saw and we conquered'. It involved forceful and brutal attacks on the victims and their land, barbaric cruelties in killings and massacres to subdue the victims, and followed up by looting everything from the victims, their properties and land, and their freedom as human beans. When the victims had been decimated, massacred to a point of haplessness, no longer able to fight back, they became slaves of the colonisers, sanitised as subjects of the conquering tribes. The colonised people were owned by the colonisers and would be rewarded, some more, some less, depending on how obedient they became and how well they served their colonial masters. They could be fed, humiliated, beaten at will by the colonial masters. Their means of survival is to please their masters and do the bidding of their colonial masters. They worked, their masters ruled and made merry, sipped tea and partied.
Over time, like a wild animal having been tamed, some could be treated very well, and even showered with kindness and treats, like a well deserving pet. Over time, when ruling the subjects became tedious, the task could be delegated to some chosen subjects to rule the subjects on behalf of the colonial masters. But the position of the colonial masters would never change and would never be compromised in a colony of people.
Today, many countries are still in various stages of Colonialism. In Africa, for centuries, some don't even know that they were still colonies of their former colonial masters, thinking that they were free and independent, when they are not.
Gaza and Palestine are at the earliest stages of brutal and barbaric Colonialism, when the colonial powers are using all the forces available to subdue the victims, to kill, massacre, destroy, to terminate them for good or until they have no more will to resist. And their land would then be taken over by the Colonial masters, and their freedom would be limited by their colonial masters. They would only be allowed to do and live under the consent of the Colonial masters. They would be at the mercy of the Colonial masters.
On the other extreme when Colonialism reaches its peak, the colonising tribe became the majority of the people of the colonised land. The victims, the natives, would have mostly been terminated, genocided to extinction or near extinction. No signs of Colonialism would be left, cleansed, whitewashed. Good examples of such places are the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many more island states.
In between these two extremes, the early stages of butchery and barbarism and a sanitised and superficially peaceful and prosperous states, there are many variations of a colonised state. The European states, South Korea and Japan, are in the same category, where the colonial powers set up many military bases in their lands to control and rule them behind the curtain. These colonised states thought they are independent states ruling themselves, when the effective control of the country is under the colonial masters. Some Middle Eastern Arab states are also in this category.
The African colonised states are slightly different. They are colonised but disguised as independent states. However, the African colonised states are now getting wiser and knowing what kind of hell holes they are in and fighting fiercely to get rid of their colonial masters.
The Philippines is a queer phenomenon. They willingly invited their former colonial masters back to rule over them. The first stage is to set up military bases. From 4 to 9, and this will grow in numbers until the Philippines is under the complete control of their invited colonial masters.
So, is Colonialism good or bad, or ugly? Those who have not been beaten up by the colonial masters, not killed or massacred by the colonial masters, may treat Colonialism as a passing phase of history. Nothing to feel good or bad about it. Those who have experienced or understood the cruelties, injustice and oppression of Colonialism would not take Colonialism kindly. Some still stupid enough wanting to commemorate and glorify the Commonwealth, spend tax payers' money to organise Commonwealth Games!
Ignorance is bliss. The colonial masters were the conquerers, the murderers, butchers, robbers, vicious predators and owners of the colonised people. Now, who would think the colonial masters were nice people, to be loved and adored, like the Queen or King of England? Wow, kings and queens, so majestic, so rich, so grand and lovely people....not knowing their riches were robbed from your forefathers. Their forefathers killed and beaten up your forefathers.
Anyone still infatuated with their former colonial masters? Anyone still taking pride in wanting to remember their former colonial masters, erect buildings and statues to remember them? The merchants of opium and slavery were only sub sets of Colonialism. Colonialism is the full recipe of crimes against humanity. The colonialists have white washed their crimes in their history books as if it was an innocent passage of time and history. No death, no massacre, no genocide, no torture, no plundering, no looting, no cruelties etc etc.
Enough said. What is your answer on Colonialism? Good, bad, or ugly? What is your answer on the Japanese Occupation of Singapore? Let me give you a clue. Look at what is happening in Gaza, in Palestine. The Japanese were like the Israelis, and the natives in the island were like the Palestinians in many ways.
Oh, in a way, the British and Aussie soldiers in the island were like the Hamas, but fought sheepishly unlike the Hamas, and surrendered to the Japanese colonial masters, and were locked up in Changi Prison. Lt Adnan was the bravest, fought heroically like the Hamas, defending his homeland.
PS. I should have added the following phrase to end the above article, 'Your humble servant' or 'Your obedient servant'. This was the right way to address the colonial masters, Your Majesty, for being born a subject of the British Empire in Singapore. Many younger Singaporeans would have no idea what this is all about. Only the older generations can remember this. The British subjects in Hong Kong should remember this very well as they only got their freedom from Her Majesty in 1997, and could still be using the above phrases in their correspondence with the Queen or their last governor.
By the way, a subject is NOT a citizen. Something like a servant or slave owned by the King or Queen.
Good morning All
ReplyDeleteThose who are the pall bearers or balls carriers of their Colonial Masters who made it Good definitely will said GOOD.
They had a head start from the beginning to carry or curry the favours from the Masters and are able to lead luxurious lifes on top of even their suffering compatriots.
Even till today their present generation are also mostly well yo do due to their ForeFathers connections and influences.
Like those of the Current Papies Leaders and also their kakis or cronies.
That's where they even wanted to preserve the legacy and heritage of their Colonial Masters saying that we progressed thru them.
Famous words by Desmond Lee and even some elite Opposition Candidates Like Lim Tean.
He said Luckily we inherited the legacy from the Brits and that's why we are so well off.
All these bananas who are well off knew no sufferings of the lower castes especially the Chinese Educated who are usually scorned by them.
Why the Brits loved the Indians, the Babas halt.breed?
Because they could converse and carry them and no threats to them.
Time immemorial they hated the Chinese as they are too strong willed and rebellious.
That's also included those parasites present generation who could spend their time and life writing NDP songs for their present day rulers as they needed their influences to.be popular and well known.
To the pure Chinese they are actually useless beans.
These useless beans like that Prick Lee and what's Khoo or coocko are born with gold and silver spoons in their arses that why they could have these types of lives just playing penis, oops pianos and writing NDP songs.
DeleteHeld in high esteem.
If really want to work as ordinary beans cannot even be a cookie with no strength and also a clerk with no working knowledge.
Coolies lah what's cookies
DeleteAn interiesting write up by Foong Swee Fong : - Come August, about 1.5m Singaporeans will receive up to $850 in GST vouchers to help with the cost of living.
ReplyDeleteNobody will quarrel with having more money, yet, this annual handout is detrimental to the progress of the people and the nation because it adds to the suffocating influence and power of the government over the people.
As it is, the government has a finger in every sector of the economy, including food courts, supermarkets, transport, healthcare, banking and insurance, property, construction, seaport, airport and airline. It controls the labour unions and the employers federation. More than 80% of the people depends on it for their housing. The town councils are directly controlled by it (except the few constituencies not won by the PAP). Our CPF is controlled by it. The mainstream media, funded by the people, operates as its propaganda arm.
The legitimate duty of a government are external defense, internal security and functions that are naturally not profitable for the private sector but will frequently reap benefits for society in the long run, including essential services for the poor like education, medical care and housing. The rest it should leave to the private sector, while ensuring free and fair competition.
The government’s excessive control in so many aspects of our life will only make those of us who are meek, dependent on it, and those who are active and ambitious, sycophants (“balls carriers”).
It is far better that the government scrap the vouchers but ensure that the people, especially those in the lower economic strata, can make a living wage, by drastically reducing the army of foreign workers, who are keeping wages down.
In addition, the government should relook its policies that keep cost of living high, including the recent increase in GST, excessive economic activity in a very small island which has arguably led to dis-economies of scale, the conundrum of a public housing policy that is dependent on ever-increasing prices, given that the people’s retirement funds are tied to it.
Using taxpayers’ money to give out annual GST vouchers only adds to the control of the government over the people, which is evil. People in such a country, like slaves, will never fully develop themselves, to be the best that they can be, instead, will shrivel to being small men, who can never achieve anything great. The government, in its wanton need for control, is sacrificing enormous human potential, even as you are reading this.
Finally, we can all bet our last GST voucher that the government will carry out the general election shortly after the people have received the vouchers in August, to capitalize on their gratefulness, which may well give them the edge over their opponents, and thus extend their iron-grip on the people for another five years.😡
Had posted this on top of my comments but was deemed too long so put it here.
Cheers
US President Joe Biden says he has been “running the world” in an interview with ABC News on Friday.
ReplyDeleteThis reveals what the US really thinks - that Americans are the hegemonic ruler of the world.
The Indians did not hate the Chinese till the mid 1950s. Up to the 1955 Bandung Conference, the Indians and Chinese were still friends. But by then the Indians were already harbouring some superiority complex over the Chinese. They felt that they were superior to the Chinese as subjects of the British Empire and at a time, serving as police or soldiers in China, lording over the Chinese.
ReplyDeleteThere was no India until 1947 when the Brits clobbered many tribal states together under the East India Company, and given independence as India. They thought it was their birth right to inherit everything from the Brits, including all the lands seized by Britain from China. When China refused to accept this colonial legacy and insisted to have their lands back, the relationship soured.
And because of arrogance and blinded by pride and superiority complex, the Indians under Nehru planned to seize all the Chinese lands, including Tibet, as part of India by force. Then war broke out in 1962, and the humiliating defeat by China made the Indians more angry with China. How can superior Indians be defeated by poor communist Chinese peasants?
The rest is history and history is going to repeat itself as the conceited and deluded Indians cannot live with the defeat by China and wanted to avenge and redeem their pride, to defeat China in a war and seized all the lands the British took from China as part of India.
Tribal pride and arrogance are an explosive formula for war.
White men's literature will not condemn Colonialism as the greatest crime against humanity committed against the people of the world.
ReplyDeleteI should have added the following phrase to end the above article, 'Your humble servant' or 'Your obedient servant'. This was the right way to address the colonial masters, Your Majesty, for being born a subject of the British Empire in Singapore. Many younger Singaporeans would have no idea what this is all about. Only the older generations can remember this. The British subjects in Hong Kong should remember this very well as they only got their freedom from Her Majesty in 1997, and could still be using the above phrases in their correspondence with the Queen or their last governor.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, a subject is NOT a citizen. Something like a servant or slave owned by the King or Queen.