Colonialism is alive and kicking

Born to rule?Prince Harry expressed the view that there are those who are 'born to rule' when he wore a nazi outfit to a 'colonial and native' party.Prince Harry’s swastika antics, as gut wrenching as they were, actually overshadowed a more frightening phenomena: that among the well healed, well connected group of society there are many that still believe that they are born to rule and that they can do pretty much what they like to maintain their way of life.The extraordinary theme of Major Meade’s Wiltshire party for example was ‘native and colonial’. A more appalling theme would be difficult to find unless you were ignorant and or arrogant.For Black people around the world there was no frivolity within colonialism, only degradation and dehumanisation. Furthermore, the understanding of ‘native’ for the Wiltshire party set did not refer to a native Scot or Welshman but rather the derogatory term used to describe Black people.Strangely, It was hardly reported that at the same party, Prince Harry’s brother, Prince William went ‘native’ wearing a Zulu outfit with black tights and a leopard skin robe.It is clear that the party itself highlighted arrogance and crassness, and coupled with the fact that this group belong to the aristocratic hunting and polo set - some of whom were part of the pro-fox hunting activists that disrupted the Prime Minister’s speech in Brighton last year, and others connected to protesters who stormed parliament - then the theme and tone of the party takes on a more sinister meaning.Colonial gameIn many respects these groups of people do more than play an obscene colonial game, many of them, I have no doubt, believe it too. It wasn’t so long ago that Princess Michael of Kent told a group of African Americans that they should, ‘go back to the colonies’.Not wanting to sound racist she clarified her position with the equally offensive comment that, ‘I did not say 'Back to the colonies' - I said 'You should remember the colonies'. Back in the days of the colonies there were rules that were very good. You think about it. Just think about it.’Sir Mark Thatcher, son of the former Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher also does more than play the colonial game. He was found guilty by a South African court of financially backing a band of mercenaries headed by an ex-SAS man, Simon Mann, to overthrow a sovereign state, Equatorial New Guinea.Their aim, allegedly, with the support of other Britons, was to forcibly install the opposition leader in return for favourable rights to distribute the nation’s new found oil. Those involved were quite prepared to have innocent people killed so that they could make many millions. They cared not one jot for Africa, social stability or justice, just their insatiable appetite for greed.Thatcher’s shocking story could have come straight out the 1960’s 70,s and 80’s neo-colonialism when emerging African independent states were manipulated and/or brought down because they refused to be exploited by Western interests.State of AfricaAfrica has had little or no help to recover from the 18th Century colonial carve up that set tribe against tribe and made boundaries where there were none. Colonialism in its continued ‘neo’ form has ensured that many African countries have corrupt leaders, who like the opposition leader in EquatorialNew Guinea, think more about doing deals with Western exploiters than they do about social justice for their people.Even South Africa a nation that unshackled itself from the horrors of apartheid has been forced, by financial reasons, to leave almost untouched the white elite that has used the country as a luxury playground, and a hot-bed for neo-colonist ideas. Mark Thatcher knew that he could call upon a powerful white network that would ensure he would walk free from his horrific crimes.Here in the UK our desire for a decent society has led us to believe that overwhelmingly others think the same way too. Sadly, they don’t. There is a fox hunting fraternity, for example that will defy the democratic will of the people because they believe it is their birthright to chase a fox down until it is mauled by a pack of dogs.Furthermore, by engaging in a ‘native and colonial’ party those involved, including the two Princes demonstrate their scant regard for the horrors of their own British history.But worse still, there are those, such as Mark Thatcher prepared to re-enact colonial atrocities in the name of greed and avarice.