Western colonialism has all but disappeared

Post-war decolonisation

I have long tended to look at post-war history as one great rally towards independence and self-government of – almost – all people in the world. This obviously includes the unraveling of the communist version of colonial rule, symbolized by the breakdown of the Berlin wall in 1989.

But I have increased reservations in respect of this particular aspect of our recent history.This is not simply because the Western World has continued to be the most dominant force on Earth.

And even though I am well aware of some major setbacks, I would like to be proud of the broad accomplishments of the Western World, particularly in the field of democracy, societal organization and efficiency, our technological advancement, our commercial success and so on. And I do not see any other road ahead than one which harbors these accomplishments at new levels of advancement.

Still, a price is being paid. A severe price is being paid today, and a price of as yet unknown magnitude still looms in the future. It is a good thing that our societies are gradually awakening to this.

Will we change our perceptions?
Will our further advancement include any change in the way we look at the world around us? I am thinking of the many nations outside our Western World, large masses of people in fact, who do not share our accomplishments by any measure, and many of whom are really being held back because of them.

The latter, I believe, is the most disturbing feature of our time. And again, there is abroad awareness of it in our own world. The most tragic example is the fate of Africa. It would have been much better if Africa had never been discovered. It almost seems like Africa cannot exist if, and as long as, the world is going our way.

Many people in Africa are being fed at a subsistence level, with bags of food being thrown out of airplanes – it is ‘manna from heaven’ – but without any serious efforts to get Africa on its true feet. Sure, there is the ongoing exercize in the name of Development Aid, but after more than four decades of sustained failure it becomes very difficult to believe that any good can still come from it. It is nothing less than an imperative for our Western World to exploit the larger part of our Globe, simply to help support our life of luxury and abundance.

So really, nothing substantial has changed after WW II. Colonialism turned into Development Aid and global commercial extravaganza at unprecedented scale, largely serving the same interests as did the former Western Powers in their time when they governed their ‘colonies’.

New approaches needed

I do not think that this situation will change by mere policy or any kind of international co-operation within existing frameworks. We may have the awareness, but we do not have the will, nor do we actually have a viable alternative from our point of view. It is not dissimilar from the dilemma’s prior to the abolishment of slave trade and slavery, or prior to the abandonment of ‘classic colonialism’. The power will have to be taken from us.

But can we not anticipate? Why not pro-actively and substantially help African, Asian and Latin-American markets develop? Why not increase our investments, and sacrifices, beforehand, rather than risking a massive wave of destruction out of those countries, aimed at us? Let’s for instance increase our expenditure in Research & Development to include the development of new agricultural technologies suited in an arid climate. Let’s make rain!

Hopefully the development of new technologies will get us a long way. However, we cannot simply rely on this to save us from disaster in respect of natural resources, clean water, fresh air and space to live. In addition there is a great need for new approaches to international (global) development and co-operation. The United Nations and related institutions have all consumed their relevance in a world, which is gradually disappearing into the realms of the past. It is imperative, in my view, that the non-Western World take an active part in this process.

Take it up
We are severely obstructing the sustainable evolution of the world. It is already a fact that a long echo of this will run through many milleniums following ours. Climate change, depletion of energy resources, ravaged habitats, animal and plant species extinct…. What more do we need to stand up for the future?

A great day to die!?

Have you ever thought of it? We all have our own preferences in respect of the way we die. But do we have a particular day in mind?

The perfect dying day

I came to this question when I was looking at a picture of Abbe Pierre, died age 94, on a billboard, with a crowd passing it. First of all: what counts is the way you live, I thought. That will largely determine the way, and most likely also the day you die. Abbe Pierre has died a loved, and probably highly lovable man. That is a good measure, so it seems.

You can also think of words like successful, talented, bright, kind etcetera, but love sums it all up. How could you ever be successful without being wanted, which is equivalent to being nice? And let’s exclude success that can only be attributed to greed and deceit.

So really, love is the key to the day you die. And it is the love you give, not the love you receive, even though in most cases they are always equivalent. But it is the love you give that counts. And love is what you give to the benefit of something or someone dear to you.

So the first benefit you give will be a benefit to your family: that they do not have the burden of your aging process.

The second benefit is one to society: that your death will not cost too much - particularly in the (last) period of your life - because you so much wish to extend it.

The third and perhaps last benefit that comes up in me is the benefit to yourself: not to suffer unduly when you are dying.

OK so this settles the context of a good death. All of it, so I would think, leads to a firm decision to be made by yourself as to the way you live and the day you die. It is a matter of common sense.

Thus, we get to the ideal day. It must be one without pain, with a lot of sunshine and love all over. It must be the day of fullfilment, all purpose done. This is not necesssarily the day of your retirement. Retired people still are of great value to society. The entire civilization of mankind is based on the caution, wisdom and courage of people of considerable age.




So, live a good long life. Help yourself and thereby help others. Go for a long term target with a reasonably obtainable fullfilment. Don’t dream your life away. And bow graciously for the gift of life at the right time, and take your leave.

We are all children of Africa

Craddle of Mankind
Anyone who is acquainted with the history of humanity and who follows the pursuit of our knowledge in this field both through archeology and genetics, will have no doubt that the craddle of mankind is Africa. It is out of Africa that – some hundred thousand years ago - small bands of modern humans migrated to other worlds, where they dispersed into populations which we now identify by race and nationality, but which otherwise still represent the same species.

I was reminded of this in a conversation with a friend, a young man of good African birth, who happened to have spent a large part of his adolescence in Europe. But the memories of his childhood are still vivid enough to allow him to recant the songs of Africa that he knew as a child, and to cherish his African – cultural – values.

Manhood vs intellect
One example which I consider striking is the source of his pride for his father. When I think of the memory my father, my pride of him concerns his intellect. My father was my greatest teacher in all things historical, poltical and – let’s say – humanitarian. My sense of pride concerns a man’s popularity with the nation’s intelligentsia.

My African friend however tells about his father in different terms. The greatest source of his pride is not his father’s intellect, but his father’s manhood. The son is proud of a father who is popular with the nation’s women.

These distinct sources of pride reflect fundamental cultural differences.

Allow love to flourish
My African friend then sang a song. I couldn’t understand a word of it. He explained that the song was about (the beauty of) Africa, but also about the beauty of the love between a boy and a girl. He added that the specific message of the song is not simply this beauty but a warning against jealousy. Members of the community should allow love to flourish.

We can all understand this message, can’t we? But can we also say that in our Western world we are equally keen to ban jealousy as, apparently, the African world? Manhood, love, avoidance of jealousy: all of this resounds grassroot values out of which all of humanity is born. But what a differentiation along the way in the course of those tens of thousands of years!

Let's remind ourselves
One might think that we are all children of Africa. But perhaps we have largely forgotten what it really means. And perhaps this is the source of many tragedies in the history – and future – of Mankind.