“Tony Blair had just been elected prime-minister and he and his foreign secretary, Robin Cook, were totally uninterested. In the pouring rain they were looking at the military parade from underneath their umbrella, for the transfer at midnight. Their entire attitude signalled something like: ‘’Can we go now?” ChinaColonialismBritish EmpireHong KongBritish ColonialismTony Blair Author:Bruce Gilley
“Asians are doing more to stay on the colonial track. They don’t say this out loud, but there is far less anti-colonial bombast than elsewhere. They admire the colonials. Go to the national museum in Singapore. “The British did this, the British did that”. All positive.” ColonialismBritish EmpireBritish ColonialismSignapore Author:Bruce Gilley
“The British colonial empire has done more to fight poverty than all post-war development aid combined.” ColonialismBritish EmpireBritish Colonialism Author:Bruce Gilley
“Then you can say: those people had a bad conscience. But perhaps those people, in that time and context, really believed this to be the best choice for their country. Regardless of its limitations the colonial world offered more opportunities and protection than indigenous governance would have done. And the post-colonial experience has taught us that those people were right!” ColonialismBruce GilleyBritish ColonialismPost Colonialism Author:Bruce Gilley
“Many African leaders started out ostensibly modern, liberal, but began to behave more like traditional leaders- not as a leader who is part of an institutionalized political system, but as the system itself. They opened up their economy, but out of necessity; if it could no longer be obstructed. The same goes for elections: They were held to prevent civil war. The so-called “African renaissance” was only that on the surface. The leaders did not really believe in it. In reality they returned to forms of mythical, traditional governance. That is how they smashed into the wall. African tradition is irreconcilable with the modern world. Every country will have to break with it’s traditions in order to create a modern society.” ColonialismImperialismBritish ColonialismAfrican Renaissance Author:Bruce Gilley