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| Building Brexit on the myth of empire ignores our brutal history | Building Brexit on the myth of empire ignores our brutal history |
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| “The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the European Union that does not need to bury its 20th century history,” tweeted Liam Fox last March. The historical amnesia that afflicts the secretary of state for international trade is now on display in Whitehall, with officials calling their post–Brexit scramble for African trade “empire 2.0”. I guess we should welcome their crude honesty, after all the leave campaign was based on a yearning for the days when Britannia ruled the waves. The only problem is that this kind of talk is as offensive as it is indicative of the arrogant hubris that is steering Britain on to the rocks of a hard Brexit. | |
| Fox could not have been more wrong with his tweet. The problem is that Britain has buried a large part of its 20th century history, along with the rest of the country’s tradition of brutality and crimes against humanity in building its empire. A period in which the nation enriched itself through genocide, slavery and colonial rule is somehow fondly remembered by a majority of Brits. | Fox could not have been more wrong with his tweet. The problem is that Britain has buried a large part of its 20th century history, along with the rest of the country’s tradition of brutality and crimes against humanity in building its empire. A period in which the nation enriched itself through genocide, slavery and colonial rule is somehow fondly remembered by a majority of Brits. |
| Outside the EU and devoid of colonies, Britain will find that any nostalgic visions of empire are a mirage | Outside the EU and devoid of colonies, Britain will find that any nostalgic visions of empire are a mirage |
| If we just look at the 20th century, notable atrocities include the coordinated famine in Bengal that killed 3 million people; the persecution of the Mau Mau in Kenya; and mass killings in the concentration camps during the Boer War. While this history should bring a measure of shame, upset and humility, it astoundingly manages to elicit feelings of pride in Britain. The fact that officials would even informally use “empire 2.0” shows how inadequate and insidious society’s understanding of Britain’s not-too-distant past is. | If we just look at the 20th century, notable atrocities include the coordinated famine in Bengal that killed 3 million people; the persecution of the Mau Mau in Kenya; and mass killings in the concentration camps during the Boer War. While this history should bring a measure of shame, upset and humility, it astoundingly manages to elicit feelings of pride in Britain. The fact that officials would even informally use “empire 2.0” shows how inadequate and insidious society’s understanding of Britain’s not-too-distant past is. |
| Empire was hallmarked by the noxious arrogance of the British elite that continues to turn people off from the political class today. Britain saw its role as shouldering the “white man’s burden” to spread civilization to the dark and savage parts of the world. I recently had a conversation with a man affiliated to Oxford University who was shocked that I was not appreciative for all the development work that the British had done in Rhodesia. | Empire was hallmarked by the noxious arrogance of the British elite that continues to turn people off from the political class today. Britain saw its role as shouldering the “white man’s burden” to spread civilization to the dark and savage parts of the world. I recently had a conversation with a man affiliated to Oxford University who was shocked that I was not appreciative for all the development work that the British had done in Rhodesia. |
| I was unaware people still use Rhodesia more than 30 years after Zimbabwe’s independence. Nevertheless, I was assured that even given all the brutality and underdevelopment that Zimbabwe (and the rest of the former colonies) suffered, they were better off because of good old Blighty. It seems that the student-led Rhodes Must Fall campaign has had little impact on the wider institution. Yet more evidence of the tone deaf echo chamber that produces the political class. | I was unaware people still use Rhodesia more than 30 years after Zimbabwe’s independence. Nevertheless, I was assured that even given all the brutality and underdevelopment that Zimbabwe (and the rest of the former colonies) suffered, they were better off because of good old Blighty. It seems that the student-led Rhodes Must Fall campaign has had little impact on the wider institution. Yet more evidence of the tone deaf echo chamber that produces the political class. |
| A spotlight has recently been shone on the influence that Oxford’s politics, philosophy and economics degree has on shaping the political class. This is part of a wider problem as the exclusionary access into politics often runs through institutions that breed British colonial arrogance. It is not just that the students are empowered to feel they were “born to rule”, embedded into education is the assumption of British dominance, a natural place as a leader in the world. | A spotlight has recently been shone on the influence that Oxford’s politics, philosophy and economics degree has on shaping the political class. This is part of a wider problem as the exclusionary access into politics often runs through institutions that breed British colonial arrogance. It is not just that the students are empowered to feel they were “born to rule”, embedded into education is the assumption of British dominance, a natural place as a leader in the world. |
| In the 21st century this colonial arrogance is having negative effects on the prospects for the nation. We are no longer in the 19th century when Britain controlled the seas and was one of the most powerful empires in history. Britain is not a military superpower and has to tag along with America to go on expansionary adventures across the globe. The empire is gone, as is most of the manufacturing base. | In the 21st century this colonial arrogance is having negative effects on the prospects for the nation. We are no longer in the 19th century when Britain controlled the seas and was one of the most powerful empires in history. Britain is not a military superpower and has to tag along with America to go on expansionary adventures across the globe. The empire is gone, as is most of the manufacturing base. |
| Meanwhile, the country has just voted to leave one of the most powerful economic blocks in the world. In order to build a prosperous future Britain needs to understand its place in the world; a small island desperately reaching out to countries it formerly ruled in order to try to maintain its relevance. No doubt the former colonies will be willing to trade with Britain. But the idea that these relations will represent anything like those in empire is laughable hubris. Nations no longer ruled by force and fear will not supplicate themselves to Britain because of misty memories of empire. | Meanwhile, the country has just voted to leave one of the most powerful economic blocks in the world. In order to build a prosperous future Britain needs to understand its place in the world; a small island desperately reaching out to countries it formerly ruled in order to try to maintain its relevance. No doubt the former colonies will be willing to trade with Britain. But the idea that these relations will represent anything like those in empire is laughable hubris. Nations no longer ruled by force and fear will not supplicate themselves to Britain because of misty memories of empire. |
| Due to the inadequacies of the school system, Fox and the government may actually believe that Britain gained its wealth from standing on its own two feet. But the truth is that Britain achieved all it has from standing on the backs of the colonies, enriched from stolen resources and exploited labour. Unfortunately, the nation has never come to terms with the loss of empire and the truth that without that great crutch there is little holding it up. | Due to the inadequacies of the school system, Fox and the government may actually believe that Britain gained its wealth from standing on its own two feet. But the truth is that Britain achieved all it has from standing on the backs of the colonies, enriched from stolen resources and exploited labour. Unfortunately, the nation has never come to terms with the loss of empire and the truth that without that great crutch there is little holding it up. |
| Rather than accept reality the government has deluded itself into thinking that Britain can just install an update for empire and return to former glories on the world stage. But outside the EU and devoid of colonies, Britain will find that any nostalgic visions of empire are a mirage, providing nothing to sustain it. | Rather than accept reality the government has deluded itself into thinking that Britain can just install an update for empire and return to former glories on the world stage. But outside the EU and devoid of colonies, Britain will find that any nostalgic visions of empire are a mirage, providing nothing to sustain it. |
| • This article was corrected on 7 March to make clear that Liam Fox’s tweet was from March 2016 |
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