... ourselves and our nation needing to examine our own motives, behaviour and the very long history of exploration of the world that then led to trade with the people we met and the abomination of acquiring colonies and the control that came with it. I find the history quite despicable but understandable; and also deliciously hypocritical. Sometimes humorous and needing self-criticism of accepting, not ignoring, the sorry past.
This led to W European nations, especially England, settling in these lands and, lo and behold, taking over the indigenous peoples but, of course, for the best of all possible reasons - Christian civilisation! So that's all right, then. Our ancestors had the most well-intentioned motives to save them and to show them a better way of life. One based on the Bible - and rather finite fossil fuels!
Colonialism and slavery seemed to have started with the white man, in our case, under Elizabeth 1's patronage and John Hawkins' "pioneering slave trading voyage in 1562". (Sanghera, 'Empireworld', p 10) Piracy, too. And the pirates were knighted! The Queen "honoured Hawkins, (additionally) by giving him a coat of arms that featured a chained African" (ibid p 241) Despicable behaviour by us fine, upstanding Brits. But, also our history is a treasure trove of double standards, comedy and satirical opportunities to make fun of. Especially when we had the supposedly unchanging moral code in the Bible!
I see Israel as a modern, wealthy, Western nation, firmly in the US/UK camp. But, unfortunately in the very heart of the Islamic World and brazenly boasting it's credentials to its neighbours as the Bad Samaritan or as the robber of land in the much-ignored Good Samaritan story. Yet, it seems to have no shame, whatsoever. It has no insight, no self-reflection. So sad!
I've heard Muslims call Israel the cuckoo in the nest. I think, rather aptly.
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