A thoughtful and interesting article, from a personal standpoint rather than a representative political ideology.
Thanks. Yeah, the British Empire is a whole book. And I'm no expert.
Though I do recall, I think a BBC doco of all things relaying the Sati tradition or burning a wife alive on the funeral pyre of her husband.
"This is our tradition," local Indian leaders told the British Raj leaders.
"Well we have a tradition too," the British responded. "When men burn women on funeral pyres, we hang them. So you keep practicing your custom and we will keep practicing ours."
Naturally the cultural tradition died out, banned officially in 1829 by the then Governor-General Lord William Bentinck.
Is saving thousands of women from a painful death a tick for the British Empire? I would suggest the British people should not feel ashamed of their history. Nor whitewash it either.
The one thing which made an impression on me as an outsider looking in is the disconnect between what is said in the media and the actual situation on the ground. I read this
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/...ditch-of-yorkshire-or-is-it-the-next-detroit- and not a mention of Islam as a contributor for economic and social decline in Bradford. Nothing to suggest the real situation.
The media are actually lying to people by omission. They're doing so to push a agenda of PC. Reading this is the first time I realized mainstream media are lying. Which is not good, because it gives Trumps 'fake news' calls validity.
This made an impression, and meeting average working class Brits. I have this feeling it's the ruling elite who decide to push immigration from Islamic countries, but they live safely closeted away in rich (white) neighbourhoods, and inflict the social negatives (rape gangs etc) on the working class (who are then called racist if they complain).
I always saw myself as "left" leaning. Anti-racism. Pro-feminism. Pro free speech. Pro Animal rights. Anti-capitalism. Pro-Marx. But over the past 10 years I've seen the left drift into dangerous extremist positions. I don't think I left the left, or left liberalism. I think it left me.
I would not be surprised if Morrissey feels similar. It would be interesting to know.
I don't think his views or positions have changed much since the Smiths. I think anyone who is pro-animal rights. Pro-women. Pro LGBT as Morrissey is would naturally oppose the Islamic ideology. He's espressing what every true liberal person should.
Shane