Fighting Colonial Expansion
Oct 10th, 2007 by Micah Tillman | Start the Discussion |
If there’s one thing we are supposed to feel guilty about, it’s Western Colonialism. We had nothing to do with it (I, for example, wasn’t born till the 1980’s and have never left the US)* but feeling guilty allows you to feel righteous, because you at least feel guilty (whereas everyone else is proud of the evil they’ve done). It’s a nice system.
The following story reminded me once again that colonial expansion isn’t just a Western sin, it’s an Eastern sin too:
“Some 30 Tibetan exiles protesting Chinese religious policies stormed the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday, with several breaching the front gate and chaining themselves to the flag pole inside, police and witnesses said.” -Gavin Rabinowitz, AP
Why did China want Tibet in the first place? Or rather, since China isn’t a thing that can want things, “Why did whoever was in charge of military operations in China at the time of the Tibet invasion decide to invade?”
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*I assume the rejoinder would be: “Being born here is colonizing a country that doesn’t belong to you. You’re part of the ongoing European colonization of this land.” In which case I apologize for being born here. Where would you like me to go back to? I’m part Cherokee, Scottish, Swedish, Irish, English, etc.
