The European Imperial Empire and its legacy of racial inferiority in the 21st century

Jun 02, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Recently various letters have blown up in the letter columns about similarities and dissimilarities between (“slavery” and “indentureship”) and I cannot help but speculate motive, because if not the contrary, then some people may be experiencing a psychological ‘time warp’.
Now, the obvious submissions of the two enslavement systems (“Slavery” and “Indentureship”) disputed, to my view is but a farce. I decisively asked myself why some Guyanese people are so arrogantly fanatical at presenting which historical episode endured less brutality over the other, or that cultured Africans only, can present accurate historical awareness.

Clearly I answer regardless under which so ever Imperial force brought both labour camps to this mainland; it was all based on enslavement of labour, whether “slave labour” or “indentureship labour.”
The obvious evidence of Slavery (forced manual labour) predates historical accounts, and has existed throughout varying extents, forms and periods in almost all cultures and continents, globally. For that reason, the magnitude of African Slavery, as well as the African slave trade particularity, can never be compared or justified to any other form(s) of slavery that have existed, historically.

Therefore, it can be further argued that the indentureship system on the other hand was merely a crafty ‘political and economic labour arrangement’ which the British Empire used in moving out of slavery and into a wider and deeper colonial empire, with the pretext of adhering to the abolition of the slavery regulations, at the time.

Remarkably, the Dutch and English colonial empires’ arrangement of slave trading were the acquisition of cheap labour and so understandably the engine behind the enslavement systems were based in the finance game.
Regardless of where our roots lay, whether Africa or Asia, our ancestry was brought to toil on plantations, (forced or contracted). Sadly it can be noted that the European ruling empires created ‘race inferiority’ as a tool in justifying the horrific episodes of slavery, using skin colour to rate or to justify one group over another.

In my view ‘race’ does not exist, because skin colour is the only distinguishing genetic material (RNA), otherwise we are the one and the same people. Arguably, the colonizers’ were not racist essentially because they traded slaves, but were racist because they used slaves for economic profits. Evidently, the struggle against racism globally is ever present because ‘psychological environmental pollution’ is taking its toll, as many people are denied justice, and other civil liberties. Furthermore, racism has legitimated massacres and genocides for centuries and arguably “white supremacy” has damaged and destroyed the ‘non whites’ of the world, as imprisonment, educational failure, unemployment and infant mortalities are visibly on the rise.

Terrifyingly, a modern day global enslavement system is very real as the global racial order of inequality exists, as people with ‘wise eyes’ would clearly notice the wealth gap. Moreover ‘globalized abuse’ is very present internationally, especially in many indebted third world nations; many key global institutions stay racially monolithic, such as multinational corporations and private international financial institutions which direct fiscal/monetary policies.

Principally, after 43 years of political independence from colonial rule no one should point fingers to suggest that enslavement was compassionate to one class over another, because the truth of the matter is some people need to break the culture of thinking one way and should widen their awareness to the global enslavement system, and begin to realise their true destinies. In closing, as a nation we should be focusing upon our little motto that says, “One people one nation one destiny” and make efforts toward amalgamating true working class alliance, especially with our trade unions, to foster real development in our dear land of Guyana.
Alaric Weithers

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The European Imperial Empire and its legacy of racial inferiority in the 21st century

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