Day 112: Shame for Colonialist Past

I grew up in Belgium and was taught in school how King Leopold II of Belgium had colonised Congo during his rule. I remember that during the lesson they explained what colonising means and they were summing up which country had which colonies during that time. They first went through all the other countries and eventually said: "And Belgium also had one colony: Congo". And it was said as though it was something to be proud of - like 'we also owned another country'.

Other than that we were taught that in 1960 Congo became independent and stopped being a Belgian colony - and that was apparently all there was to say about it.

Now - while doing research on African politics, I've become aware of the absolute absolute chaos ruling Congo after independence.

When my sister was taught about Congo as Belgium's colony in school, she asked her teacher to tell her more about it and the teacher just stood there, not responding. She's not sure if this is because she simply didn't know or if she was just too ashamed to tell an inquiring child of Belgium's heritage.

The shame of abdicating responsibility within the problems that were created in Congo as a consequence of colonialism has led to the concealing of information in relation to it, where children in school are not informed of what Belgium had done and what it hadn't done in relaiton to Congo and what role it played in Congo's downfall.

This is the world we live in today - where we are so ashamed of who we are as a society, as a people, as a nation - that we cannot look a child in the eye and openly share about the country's history.

The topic of Congo is like a taboo, something we don't speak of, something we don't even think of - it is like it has been erased from our history books and as though, therefore, it never happened - yet, the Congolese are still suffering the bitter aftertaste to this day, hoping that Belgium will come and assist in sorting out the mess it left behind - not knowing that the current Belgian generations live in ignorant bliss of what is going on in its former colony and, really, couldn't care less.

It is easy to go and fuck up a country and then, once it is declared independent, wipe our hands clean as though 'our job is done now, we did the right thing' - but no responsibility was taken for the harm that had already been done.

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world, when they are too ashamed of who they are and what they have done as a people, as a nation, to educate the next generations about it so that the young generations can learn from past mistakes?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world when they deliberately abdicate responsibility for the harm they have done unto other people - as though we can create a better world without the requirement of taking responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards a better world when they are too ashamed to admit to their own mistakes - placing their own shame above what is best for all - an absolute act of self-interest?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world if they cannot look their children in the eye and speak straightforwardly about the world that they have created for them, the legacy they are leaving their children to sort out?

To be continued.

Related articles

• Day 110: Evilution - Neocolonialism
• Day 111: Evilution - Neocolonialism - Part 2
• Day 90: The Foreign Sector
• Day 33: Wanting to be the Star Pupil
• Day 112: INNER STRUCTURE of an EQUAL MONEY SYSTEM - PART 2

Day 110: Evilution - Neocolonialism

This blog is a continuation to:
Day 98: The Unholy Trinity
Day 99: Money Votes
Day 102: Liberalism
Day 103: Abstract Equality
Day 104: We have to Protect our Freedom!
Day 105: Human Liberties
Day 106: Structural Adjustment
Day 107: Getting Reality to conform to an Illusion
Day 108: Virtual Democracies
Day 109: Politics as a Double-Faced Game

Let’s have a look at why many countries who are under Structural Adjustment Programs, came to turn to international institutions like the IMF and the World Bank.

Most of these Third World Countries had been previously colonised by the West.
During this time, the colonised countries’ existence was only relevant to the Colonising country in so far that it could use it for resource extraction or trade benefits. During the colonial rule, a lot of changes took place in terms of the colonies’ infrastructures. Infrastructures were built in relation to the country’s function, and like we just mentioned, this function was to serve the colonising country.

So any and all infrastructures built in these countries, were built to direct the flow of resources towards the West. Most of the time, these infrastructures were focused on only a few goods, like cocoa, tobacco, coffee.

So what happened after independence?

During the colonial rule, all these countries were submerged into the international economic/money system – they were now part of the game. When the colonial rulers left, they had no choice but to continue playing the game – the ties were already too much ingrained. So now they had to come up with a plan to be able to continue to play the game. Unfortunately, the only infrastructures in place in these countries in terms of international trade, were those to serve the West. So even though the colonial rulers left – these colonised countries still continued to play the exact same role after colonisation. Considering that there were many of these countries, and many of them focused/specialised on the same goods/crops – they were now competing with each other to get their goods sold to the West, which forced them to lower their prices as much as possible just to get their stuff sold.

Previously during the colonial rule, the occupiers would finance much of the country’s development that would further trade. Now that they had left, these third world countries were left with nothing. The only thing they could do to ‘kickstart’ their economies = was to borrow money.

Every since then, many of these countries went into Debt and have so far not been able to repay it.

The loans they get now, are conditional as seen in Day 98 and Day 106 – where not only these countries are at the mercy of the West economically – but now also have to conform politically. So in essence, nothing has really changed. Just through money, a new form of ‘indirect’ colonialism replaced the older ‘direct’ colonialism – but countries are still being exploited.

Look at it simplistically:

The West comes and colonises Third World Countries. They take their resource and built stuff which only serves the West. Then they go away and leave the Third World Countries alone, and let them plunge into massive Debt just for the sake of survival. But the only reason why they had to go into Debt, was because of the actions of the West.

I mean, it just doesn’t make any sense!

We call ourselves ‘civilised’ and ‘evolved’ – but we’ve really not changed at all, we’ve just gotten better at covering up what we do and make it sound more acceptable – while it is totally NOT.

Day 26: The Matrix is All Around Us - NO ESCAPE

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that the economy is all around us.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that there is no way of escaping the global capitalistic economic system.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to see and realise how the economic system pervades through all aspects of our lives, not only human, but also of plants and animals.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that by not following the news, not studying economics and feeling as though I have nothing to do with economics does not mean that I am not affected by it in every aspect of my life.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to see and realise the extent in which money and economics controls human life and determines our decisions and choices on a daily basis.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that by simply turning a blind eye to the negative and disastrous consequences of our economic system doesn't mean that they aren't there and that I am not responsible for them.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that by deliberately remaining ignorant about economics does not mean that I am protected from how economics impacts my life, but simply means that I have given up any chance to empower myself by understanding in being able to stand up from within the system and propose actual, real and sustainable solutions that benefit all.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to see, realise and admit how money eventually always has the last word in every decision and choice that I make in life.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that I cannot escape economics in the same way that I cannot escape myself as the economy is merely a groce out-flow and manifestation of who we as humanity are as a whole - and therefore, that we must face ourselves as the economic system head on to see what we have accepted and allowed to have become of ourselves and to take responsibility for this screw-up we call life.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that becoming an artist is no way of escaping the economy as eventually all artists must find a way to make a living.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that being high all the time is no way of escaping the economy as money must be found to pay for the drugs.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that being drunk all the time is no way of escaping economics as you need money to buy your booze and your aspirins for your hangover headaches.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that going back in time is a way of escaping economics, since we are the sources of the economic system and will simply make the same mistakes, leading to the exact same situation we are in now.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that going to live on a farm and 'being self-sustainable' is no way of escaping economics, because a lot more is involved in terms of maintaining a farm and the physical than merely planting your own food and generating your own electricity - such as equipment, health care, maintenance of infrastructure, etc., all of which requires money.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that meditation is no way of escaping economics, because sooner or later your body is going to get hungry or you're going to want to take a shit, which means you'll need to buy food, toilet paper, pay your water bill, etc. - proving that you're as fucked as any other person.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that travelling is no way of escaping economics, because your entire experience in travelling is determined by money.

I forgive myself for not accepting and allowing myself to realise that the only way we can save ourselves from the claws of the economy is if we change it from within - starting with ourselves and investigating how we are responsible for every single part of the economic system in how it reflects parts of our human nature that we live out in our everyday lives - to be able to firstly correct this behaviour and stop powering the system of abuse and then from there, assist and support ourselves to place ourselves in positions where we're able to change the system from the inside out in a way that it reflects the best version of ourselves.

I commit myself to educate myself about economics and investigate how I am personally responsible for feeding, powering, creating and supporting this system of abuse within the world through looking at how each aspect of the economy reflects a part of in and of myself that I live out in my everyday life.

I commit myself to stop feeding, powering, creating and supporting the current economic system through transforming my beingness from corruption to self-honesty and integrity wherein I value all life equally to my own and act accordingly.

I commit myself to assist and support myself to be able to place myself in an effective position in this world where my voice will be heard and from where I am able to create a ripple-effect that allows others to stand up and lay down their chains - so that all as one we are able to forgive the past and correct ourselves to design an economic system that honours all life equally.

I commit myself to stop looking for ways out and trying to figure out creative ways of escaping my creation as the economy of the world - but instead face it head on through facing myself head on where I allow myself to learn from those who have gone before me who stand as examples in this process of taking responsibility for what has been allowed.