The Anti-Colonialist Movement of Our Time

Let's name it for what it is and get on board

I heard the phrase ‘The Anti-Colonialist Movement’ in this talk by Danny Haiphong and it leapt out at me. Yes! This is what many of us are doing in one way or another. We’re actively trying to move on from a colonialist worldview, and world governance system in western nations.

Here in the west, I think it started with land acknowledgements, acknowledging that in North America and Australia, we’re living on land that was stolen from aboriginal people.

Sure, there’s a lot of tokenism involved, but at a deeper level, for many of us, it’s a desire to address this historic wrong, and to do what we can to make things right for the many violations committed against aboriginal people by our colonizer ancestors.

We urge our governments to respect aboriginal ways of doing things, to get clean water to territories where they live, to compensate them, and to understand the thinking that made this acceptable to those who committed those wrongs.

That thinking is colonialist. Colonialism is the system or policy of a nation seeking to extend or retain its authority over other people or territories.

I read an article that frames colonialist and anti-colonialist thinking in what used to be called left and right wing political views. Now that those lines have been blurred — almost all parties represent the interests of the wealthy and powerful which makes them all right wing — lets go with the terms colonialist and anti-colonialist.

How were people able to commit these horrendous crimes against aboriginal people?

It had a lot to do with white supremacy, the belief that white people are superior to those of other races, and thus having the right to dominate them.

People did (and many still do) regard people who aren’t white, Christian, and English speaking inferior, so the idea of imposing their values on these ‘heathens’ was doing them a favour.

This belief was reinforced by government, churches and the military to convince oppressor and oppressed of the correctness of this view.

This article, The Rise of Left Enjoyment by Andy Vantino, discusses the differences between what the left (anti-colonialist) and right (colonialist) enjoy.

My take on this article is that colonialists (right) generally adhere to and defend the status quo, so get pleasure out of excluding people who don’t fit into society, and punishing and shaming them. Their personal relationships are more competitive, and they are often fearful and concerned with maintaining tradition.

On the other hand, anti-colonialists (left) generally genuinely experience joy in every day living, and appreciate different perspectives. They’re more concerned about creating a liveable and caring future, and their relationships tend to be more collaborative.

Our societal views are slowly changing. As people travel and communicate online more, we’re learning to appreciate diversity and its many gifts. We’re starting to see each other as potential friends and not as competitors or actual threats.

As we learn about aboriginal knowledge, we’re starting to see earth as a living system, and ourselves as part of that system, that isn’t reduced to resources to be extracted. We’re learning how to work with nature without constantly trying to overpower it.

As modern people question colonialist beliefs, it’s hard to understand how we can maintain a coherent internal narrative while watching an ongoing genocide in Gaza in real time on our devices.

The powers that be in the western world tell us to hold the colonialist belief that Israel is more deserving than Palestine, and has the right to kill them, steal their land and destroy their culture. If we disagree, and feel that genocide is wrong, we’re told that we’re anti-semitic.

It’s odd to me that so many people I know, at least the ones who get their news from reliable sources, are opposed to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, while the people who hold power and influence in the west — politicians, reporters, influencers — support Israel. What a clash of belief systems! The people in power are out of touch with so many of us.

Do they still watch westerns and war movies that portray the cowboys and American soldiers as good and the ‘Indians’ and soldiers of foreign armies as bad? Do they believe the propaganda in the action/adventure movies that always seem to show the Americans as the good guys against the political enemy of the day? Or do they just benefit from the system as it is so much that they’re unwilling to change their views?

The world can’t afford to continue believing this outdated stuff. The western world is not the pillar of goodness and knowledge that it seems to think it is. And, more and more, the rest of us in the west know it. Most people of the global majority have been aware of this for a long time.

If we in the west could open our minds, we could learn a lot about all those people we’ve been conditioned to feel superior to. And we’d probably be a lot happier and healthier for it.

How do we learn to recognize colonialism, name it for what it is, and move on to something better?

We can start by noticing the remnants of it that lurk within our own psyches.

Are we believing things when we should be questioning them?

Here are a few things to try.

If a leader of a country the west doesn’t like is being called the next Hitler, as has happened so many times before before invading that leader’s country, do a little digging and find out for yourself what that leader’s side of the story is. The good vs. evil narrative is hammered home to us so that we frame things in that way. And, surprise, our country is always the good guy. Maybe there’s more complexity to the story than what we’re being told. We can make it our duty to find out.

And know that just because one party is considered bad it doesn’t make the opposition good. As an example, both Biden and Trump support Israel’s genocide of Palestine. It’s hard when there are no good choices, but still important to understand.

Adopting an attitude of curiosity about different cultures and religions helps us to gain new insights. Instead of seeing our beliefs as being superior, why not see them as one of many?

And what about seeing things in an inclusive and holistic way? That all of us benefit when we look out for each other, and that we’re stronger together as we build communities where we can all thrive, and create enforceable international laws to make sure countries have peaceful ways of resolving conflicts.

Probably most of us have a little colonialist or two in our heads. I do, and recognize it when I see it. Like a fondness for Sherlock Holmes types of aesthetics (my favourite was a tobacconist store in an old building with stained glass windows, complete with ships in bottles, canes, cigars, pipes and men’s hats), antiques — those postcards from the past which was probably rife with colonialist beliefs, old books — at least the look of them. When I actually read them they’re often full of colonialist attitudes.

I’m sure there are more. If they feel relatively harmless, I wouldn’t sweat it, but if it involves dehumanizing anyone, it’s time for a rethink.

I hope colonialism is something we can all move away from. To me it seems like our only chance for survival and a life where all can thrive. Let’s move on from that stale attitude that has caused and continues to cause so much harm in the world.

Maybe the anti-colonialist movement is our Star Trek moment. Here’s an episode that sounds like it explores this topic well. Maybe this is when we embrace our humanity and make war and genocide obsolete, and create the beautiful future that is entirely possible together.

Let’s say goodbye to an attitude that’s well past its best before date. And replace it with a worldview that’s much more constructive.

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I love the BDS campaign and the effect it’s having on Israel’s economy.

Here's an excellent list of products from Israel: https://boycott.thewitness.news/browse/1

Here's a way to help others not in your bubble to boycott Israel: https://www.cjpme.org/stickies_2024_en

And here's where you can support Palestine by buying a keffiyeh: https://www.hirbawi.ps/