in UK documentaries about their imperial past, the presenters always look like they're deeply embarrassed about the situation, like: "and then... *we* shit on the bed."
it's ok comrades, you can just tell the story as it is. you don't have to show how uncomfortable you are with the "icky" subject.
...although if a UK person is to have an affect when covering their horrifying history, i'd definitely prefer "slightly embarrassed" over "sometimes we make little jokes about it", as they do on the (otherwise very nice!) "empire" podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@EmpirePodUK
they love having a little giggle about some very interesting "little fact". it's not cute at all.
From the British Empire to the Ottomans to Ancient India, history is shaped by power struggles and territorial conquests. How does it continue to affect the world today? William Dalrymple and Anita Anand explore the intricate stories of revolutions, imperial wars, and the people who built and lost empires. Empire Club: Become a member of the Empire Club to receive early access to miniseries, ad-free listening, early access to live show tickets, bonus episodes, book discounts, our exclusive newsletter, and access to our members’ chatroom on Discord! Head to https://empirepoduk.com to sign up. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: [email protected] https://Goalhangerpodcasts.com Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Exec Producer: Dom Johnson
why do i spend time learning about the history of empire (especially european empires)? because they REALLY did a number on the world. like, millions of people. and we're still living in the world that was created by european imperial powers. it's no good to forget who's kinda responsible for the situation we're in, ya know? 😬
and so often when i'm learning about the history of western imperialism, i think... "didn't y'all have enough in your own places? why'd you have to go and take other peoples' stuff? and why'd you have to go and take all of it, wherever you went? you never left any for anyone else to have. go to turtle island? kill ALL the buffalo. empty the oceans of fish and seals. cut down ALL the trees. take ALL the land. no, you can't live here too. we live here."
and then i remember: yea, their lands were all divided up and turned into private property really early. they were living in money-based and profit-based and extraction-based systems for a long time. the dutch east india company was chartered in 1602!!!! 1602!!!!! that's how early these guys invented joint stock companies, all for the purpose of exploitation and bringing riches back to investors.
and the religious and philosophical ideas in their cultures were 100% based on domination, hierarchy, and exploitation of people, animals, and the land. and built in to those philosophies was the idea that THEY were at the top. how convenient!
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