Kamercommissie Belgisch koloniaal verleden draait uit op een mislukking, liberale partijen nemen niet deel aan eindstemming

5 comments

1. ‘Lessen trekken voor de toekomst’… are we going to have new colonies then?

2. Verrassing, verrassing. We profiteren collectief nog enorm van ons koloniale verleden (en van ons neokoloniale heden, maar bon), en de mensen die hierdoor het meeste bevoordeeld worden zullen nooit riskeren ook maar een beetje in te moeten boeten.

3. If the royal palace truly intervened to try and influence the decision I believe that to be a major issue.

4. A formal apology could result in a demand for reparations. Acknowledging a mistake makes it rather hard to say: “but we will not compensate you for the mistake we made”.

5. This is a difficult discussion though. Most of not all of the atrocities were committed during the vrijstaat Congo period. Belgium as a whole didn’t have much to do with that. Of course indirectly (and eventually directly due to the state seizing part of the profits and the colony) we profited because of it, but I don’t think the Belgian government should (fully) pay for reparations for atrocities they didn’t commit.