Colonialism was predicated on the lie that mineral and land resources were just sitting there for the taking. Atlantic slavery was predicated on the lie that human lives and labor were just sitting there for the taking. If you read advertisements for colonial projects from the 17th century, they're all like this: Look, chocolate hangs from the trees! Gold sits on the ground! You can eat candy sweets all day by just picking them up--all hiding genocide, slavery, and ecological devastation. 3/