Colonialism wasn't all bad‚ says Helen Zille

[konfab]

Nope

Facts are not good when they don't suit you eh? Singapore's welfare system was started by the British.

British colonial authorities in Singapore created the Central Provident Fund in 1955 as a compulsory savings scheme to assist workers to provide for their retirement without needing to introduce a more extensive and costly old age pension. Money contributed to the Central Provident Fund earned a nominal rate of return. As Singapore's economy developed, the Central Provident Fund was expanded in 1968 to provide for housing expenses under the Public Housing Scheme. In 1984 the Central Provident Fund was again expanded to cover medical and care expenses.[2] As the Central Provident Fund developed, dedicated accounts were created for the different expenses the Fund was designed to cover, to ensure a more targeted savings approach. In 1986 a higher risk investment option was added to give members the opportunity of a higher rate of return on their savings.[2]

 

[vindicem]

Sigh.

Did colonialism come with benefits to those oppressed by it?

Well I don't know, why don't you inform us of these socalled "many benefits"?

On a side were the locals given a choice to be westernised or not? Were they looking for, needing and longing to be educated in the western ways?

 

[Knyro]

Colonialism brought the written word to the South African people's among many other benefits.

Although I don't doubt for a minute that the people here would have developed the written word and all the other benefits of colonisation over time. Should they not at least show appreciation for getting a hand up?

People will never be grateful for side-effects of violence. The colonists were in it for themselves, any "benefits" like infrastructure etc. was just to make it easier to more efficiently extract resources and labour from Africa.

If some guy takes a woman out, buys her a dress, takes her to a show etc. to lull her into a false sense of security so that he can rape her when she least expects it, do expect the woman do be grateful because without her rapist she wouldn't have a new dress etc.? Fsck that.

 

[Moosedrool]

Well I don't know, why don't you inform us of these socalled "many benefits"?

On a side were the locals given a choice to be westernised or not? Were they looking for, needing and longing to be educated in the western ways?

The evil western indoor plumbing, technology and not to forget the evil newtonian laws which keeps our satellites up in orbit in evil space.

 

[Vrotappel]

Well I don't know, why don't you inform us of these socalled "many benefits"?

On a side were the locals given a choice to be westernised or not? Were they looking for, needing and longing to be educated in the western ways?

There were no choices back then, different time, different rules. At least they gave the world soccer, cricket to India, religion, written language to people whose development has stagnated, etc. What did the Bantus give to the Khoi when they colonised the south of Africa? More important why is this colonisation aspect ignored?

 

[Knyro]

The evil western indoor plumbing, technology and not to forget the evil newtonian laws which keeps our satellites up in orbit in evil space.

Japan has all that and they were never colonised.

Hmm, almost as if colonisation is in fact, not a pre-requisite for the spread of knowledge.

 

[Garson007]

ANC supporters seem to forget that the Afrikaners fled to the Free State / Transvaal to escape from Colonialism.

And then had to defend their freedom in two wars against the British Empire.

At the end of the last war they were crushed by 500 000 Colonial soldiers, with massive loss of life amongst woman and children. Many blacks also died in British concentration camps.

But no, all whites are colonials, even the Afrikaners, as well as thousands of Europeans who arrived after 1910 (formation of the Union of SA).

Are you reading this forum? I fear much of the DA's voting base still longs for the empire.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

Well I don't know, why don't you inform us of these socalled "many benefits"?

On a side were the locals given a choice to be westernised or not? Were they looking for, needing and longing to be educated in the western ways?

Reading. A formalized language.

 

[Knyro]

There were no choices back then, different time, different rules. At least they gave the world soccer, cricket to India, religion, written language to people whose development has stagnated, etc. What did the Bantus give to the Khoi when they colonised the south of Africa? More important why is this colonisation aspect ignored?

I'm sure somebody could come up with a list like animal husbandry, grain storage, fermentation, a non-hunter-gatherer lifestyle etc. but nobody around here is justifying it.

 

[C4Cat]

The evil western indoor plumbing, technology and not to forget the evil newtonian laws which keeps our satellites up in orbit in evil space.

You think only places that were colonized have indoor plumbing and technology or do you agree that these things can be achieved in the absence of colonialism? Are you really saying the laws of nature are a product of colonialism? Was there no gravity before the colonialists? Newton wasn't a colonialist by the way and science is not colonialism.

 

[Knyro]

Reading. A formalized language.

Writing spread from China to Japan. No colonisation.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

People will never be grateful for side-effects of violence. The colonists were in it for themselves, any "benefits" like infrastructure etc. was just to make it easier to more efficiently extract resources and labour from Africa.

If some guy takes a woman out, buys her a dress, takes her to a show etc. to lull her into a false sense of security so that he can rape her when she least expects it, do expect the woman do be grateful because without her rapist she wouldn't have a new dress etc.? Fsck that.

You are lumping all colonists into one cough "pot". That's generalizing.

Many Europeans were looking for a better life and many others wanted to help the locals.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

Writing spread from China to Japan. No colonisation.

But reading /writing did not exist in Southern Africa. The process was speed up.

 

[Garson007]

You are lumping all colonists into one cough "pot". That's generalizing.

Many Europeans were looking for a better life and many others wanted to help the locals.

Nobody cares about the colonists. Many of the colonists fought against colonial masters. These colonial masters are the issue.

 

[Knyro]

You are lumping all colonists into one cough "pot". That's generalizing.

Many Europeans were looking for a better life and many others wanted to help the locals.

Duh. We're talking about colonialism as a concept, generalisation is to be expected.

Point is, you'll be waiting a very long time for the "appreciation" you seek.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

Nobody cares about the colonists? Many of the colonists fought against colonial masters. These colonial masters are the issue.

Who are these colonial masters. Dead long time I suspect....

Get over it i say. Most complainers of colonisation did not even experience it, let alone apartheid.

 

[Garson007]

Who are these colonial masters. Dead long time I suspect.

Get over it is say. Most complainers of colonisation did not even experience it, let alone apartheid.

Yes, let's forget history. :erm:

 

[Knyro]

But reading /writing did not exist in Southern Africa. The process was speed up.

It didn't exist in Japan either.

Fact is knowledge can spread without colonialism.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

Duh. We're talking about coloniasm as a concept, generalisation is to be expected.

Point is, you'll be waiting a very long time for the "appreciation" you seek.

Shrug.

Why should I wait for appreciation? I didn't colonize anyone.

 

[Patrick_Hockstetter]

It didn't exist in Japan either.

Fact is knowledge can spread without colonialism.

I agree. But what is done is done.