Why is it we allow people to fly the Confedrerate Flag?

[RZM]

65. That's only partly true

Colonialism was a vastly complex phenomenon. Even if you just restrict it to the most apt comparative framework (the 'new imperialism' of the late 19th/early 20th centuries, which the Germans themselves engaged in), it doesn't really work in most circumstances.

Yes, it was racist. And yes, native populations were sometimes subject to brutal campaigns of violence (notably the German genocide against the Herero in Africa). And yes, the whole thing was shameful, exploitative, and demeaning. But there are key differences with the Nazis. On the whole, most colonial powers tended to seek some sort of accommodation with local populations, particularly local elites. Hence the concept of 'indirect rule,' where the colonial power would vest authority in the elites and allow them to do much of the administration. And there were some ways in which colonies benefited from the foreign presence, notably things like medicine, education, and infrastructure.

Note that I am NOT arguing that this was a good thing. What I am arguing is that colonialism in places like Egypt, India, and Senegal did not have a whole lot in common with Nazi policies in places like Poland and the USSR, where the Germans sought no legitimacy and little cooperation. Their intention was to mostly eliminate or expel the local population, reduce the rest to slavery, and settle the land with ethnic Germans. For instance, German plans for the USSR called for the war to be won by Autumn and then for roughly 30 million Soviet citizens be forcibly starved to death in the winter of 1941-42. That was not the typical colonial policy for countries like Britain and France. Again, that's not to say their policies were good, but you're hard-pressed to find many such examples in the wave of imperial expansion that I'm referring to.