Conversation

Notices

1. Embed this notice
   Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:15:20 JST Evan Prodromou

   Thanks all, for your thoughtful responses.

   I've been thinking about this issue since standing in the Grote Markt in Brussels during FOSDEM, with buildings painted with gold. Belgium, which just in the Congo extracted billions of dollars in rubber, ivory, and minerals, in a colonial effort that cost tens of millions lives.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:16:50 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     I have been thinking about it since last I visited Amsterdam, where the Netherlands leads the world in generous, liberal social infrastructure. Again, having extracted wealth from every corner of the planet, secured those riches to itself, and then enjoying its safe retirement from the world stage.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:19:29 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     I have been especially thinking about it with regards to the United Kingdom, which once had an empire that drained resources from every continent, at the cost of millions of lives, and used them to enrich itself. Now, when those formerly colonised people try to come to the UK and enjoy the benefit of the wealth their countries paid for, they are belittled and threatened.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:21:44 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     I think that justice is not just getting the assailant to stop hitting the victim; it's to make restitution for the crime, even if it will never be OK. Ending colonial rule and giving countries their independence was a first step, but it can't be the last.

     So, I'm a yes; I think former colonial powers should pay reparations to their former colonies.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:29:02 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     I've also read a good book, "The Verge", that talks in part about Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor. He was the king who benefited most from the expatriation of wealth from the Aztec and Inca empires, and other Spanish holdings in the Americas and Asia. He spent almost all of his treasury on expensive, pointless little wars on the European continent. I feel like the world's wealth for the last 500 years has been shipped directly to Charles V and other warmongers of his ilk.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:39:38 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • My camera shoots fascists

     @Mikal 👋🏼

   • Embed this notice
     My camera shoots fascists (mikal@sfba.social)'s status on Wednesday, 23-Apr-2025 11:39:39 JST My camera shoots fascists

     in reply to

     @evan

     Hello from the US, where we have a hell of a moral debt to the world, as we close borders and likewise belittle and oppress people from countries whose wealth we've extracted for hundreds of years.