Former British colonies owe ‘debt of gratitude’, says Robert Jenrick

18 comments

1. That’s what independence days are usually about. Thanking fuck they’re not British any more

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3. Guess it’s time to sit back and let the ‘Thank you cards’ roll in.

4. What a stupid thing to say out loud. Maybe you can say on balance, the colonies got some benefit out of it in the long term and we want to keep a good relationship in the future, but nah, keep that ‘debt of gratitude’ thing as an inside thought. Sounds a bit patronising.

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6. This guy is just putting out his CV and covering letter for Nigel Farage.

   He will either be in jail for some dodgy dealings or trying to win a seat for Reform come next election.

7. He’s right. We gave them civilization. They have us their natural resources for next to nothing. They should be thankful /s

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9. People like this are arsonists expecting thanks for putting out the fires they started.

   In short. A CUNT.

10. Saying that colonies benefitted greatly from the British Empire is similar to saying that the British Empire was solely a source of evil.

    Both are childish, naive readings of history designed to advance a current day political belief.

    People want simplistic narratives with a villain to hate and a hero to root for. But this doesn’t reflect reality. Nothing is black and white, nothing is easy to mark up as either good or evil.

    Jenricks comment will be so controversial because it has been verboten to even countenance the possibility that the British Empire did any good whatsoever. This has been the case since before I was born.

    I think this is partially because people find it difficult to decouple civilisational advancement from genetic superiority. “If we admit Europe was much, much more advanced than Africa and North/South America, then we are saying that white people are genetically superior, and we can’t have that, we must avoid that at all costs!”

    You look at the period of British rule, compare it to the 21st century, find it wanting, and then condemn Empire as a source of evil. What nobody wants to do is look at the tribes conquered by the British and compare British rule to their established tribal life. I think in most cases, any honest accounting of this would find that the British Empire was far more fair, just and “good” than the tribal systems that proceeded it, with their endless slavery, brutal patriarchy, non-existant innovation and lack of even the most basic human rights.

    And if you *really* want to piss people off, in many cases – especially in Africa – the period of British rule was not only better than what came before, it was better than what came *after*.

    None of this excuses the British Empire joining in with the African’s slave trade, nor the brutal suppression of nativist movements, nor a whole host of other abuses and acts of oppression that easily disgust our 21st Century sensibilities.

    However, I’m sick of hearing from history’s bitter losers who still haven’t gotten over the fact that their mighty, powerful ancestors got their fucking heads kicked in by a handful of drunken English sailors who conquered their lands with ease. Their emotional disagreement with history doesn’t come from a sincere belief in the universality of human rights, they’re simply jealous racists still crying because their team lost.

    The stereotype of the arrogant Englishman buoyed by a racist sense of superiority whenever he fondly remembers the Empire seems like a myth to me. I’m not saying such people don’t exist, but I have legitimately never met one in real life, nor even encountered one on the internet. However, when it comes to Indian supremacists, black nationalists, and Muslims of all stripes such attitudes seem commonplace. They look upon their ancestors with pride, over the wars they won, the lands they conquered, the wealth they horded. Their hatred of the British Empire exists because it hurts their own feelings of superiority.

    We should reject Jenrick’s populist rhetoric, but we should equally reject the anti-British rhetoric from the losers who would never dare cast that critical eye back on their own beloved culture/people.

11. Look, I understand the “We shouldn’t apologise” argument, even if I don’t entirely agree. Saying shit like this is stupid and inflammatory and just… needless. Why would anyone think saying that countries ought be thanked for being colonised and looted?

    The rhetoric around a certain vote in 2016 was filled with allegories about colonisation and control and how Britain was merely reduced to a dependency. A significant chunk of all the pro arguments were about how we deserved to be free and rule Britannia and all that bollocks – which makes it weird that this is apparently totally fine.

12. This is an appallingly racist take.

    Britain, in the 17th century, was not a democracy. Male wealthy landowners got a vote. Most people did not. The hereditary monarch had most of the power, albeit slightly clipped by the 1680 Bill of Rights. 

    It then created the biggest single slavery organisation in history – the Royal Africa Company – owned in part by the hereditary monarch. 

    Gradually, over time, with much hesitation, Britain became a liberal democracy at home. At the same time, it continued violent repression against calls for independence in colonies, including running concentration camps post world war II. 

    To then say ‘those peasant Africans and inferior Indians couldn’t have civilised themselves, they needed Christian values’ – that is racism. Pure, unadulterated racism.

    Jenrick is a nasty shit and should never be allowed in any high office.

13. Ah yes, I forgot colonialism is only bad when the west did it. People that use this as an argument to justify why they think the west is evil are hypocritical half-wits.

14. [Lots of ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generations)[things to ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Rebellion_of_1857)[be thankful ](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/aug/18/uncovering-truth-british-empire-caroline-elkins-mau-mau)%5Bfor.%5D(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jallianwala_Bagh_massacre)

    [So](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_trade) [Many](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars) [Things](https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/229.html#:~:text=The%20British%20give%20smallpox%2Dcontaminated,his%20replacement%2C%20General%20Thomas%20Gage.&text=Image%20of%20a%20Mesoamerican%20infected%20with%20smallpox).

    Don’t forget, he was the former Minister of State for Immigration…..

15. See this shit is why people from former colonies have good reason to hate the british.

16. A race to the bottom and to see who can *out-Farage* Farage…?

17. “They said the railways were not enough, we had to give them democracy as well”

    At this point I can only assume Jenrick and Badenoch are actually working together, she will win by dint of appearing less like a colonial ruler and will appoint him as the shadow Home Secretary to continue her good work.

18. Jesus Christ. Can people please starting thinking before they fucking speak?! Has the whole world gone stupid?!!

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