How much of this is true, and if so.....

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

Just how evil is the french government?

[ursus arctos]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

It is pretty much true.

Here's another piece on the general subject.

French policy in Africa is a bottomless cesspit of horrible actions and worse people.

[Pietro Paolo Virdis]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

Can I use this to ask a side question?
Which colonial power acted the least vile?
I'm wondering, not a quiz.

[ursus arctos]

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ursus minor and I were actually discussing this over the holidays and came to the conclusion that there is no decent answer.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

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ursus arctos wrote: ursus minor and I were actually discussing this over the holidays and came to the conclusion that there is no decent answer.

It's about context and personal experience, I suppose. It's not really possible to rank them in order. I wouldn't have fancied being Congolese under King Leopold, though.

[ad hoc]

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I think also you could talk about three phases of the colonialism - the arrival, the period when they were in power and the departure. I still think that ursus major and minor are correct though. There is no good answer.

What were Germany like as a colonial power in Africa? I know in Micronesia they left a fair bit to be desired

[sw2borshch]

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Absolutely bloody awful, if 'The Kaiser's Holocaust' is to be believed.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

ad hoc wrote: What were Germany like as a colonial power in Africa? I know in Micronesia they left a fair bit to be desired

Weirdly enough, I was just debating whether to order this.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

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Touche, Mr. Boro.

[ursus arctos]

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Echoing VT, we also concluded that the Belgians have an excellent claim to having been the worst.

[WOM]

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Nonsense. They were hailed as heroes.

[Toro Toro]

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Denmark?

[beak]

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Scotland?

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

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It's the Netherlands every December.

[EIM]

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Christ, that Tintin picture is jarringly shocking, isn't it?

[WOM]

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What do you mean?

[EIM]

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That's better. I think it's the fact Herge had drawn some of them wearing hats.

I loved Tintin as a child, you know. Still do to some extent. Even then though I picked up on his representation of the Japanese and thought "Here, what's that about?". But this is another level, and I wish I was still ignorant about it.

[Southport Zeb]

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Toro Toro wrote: Denmark?

Did a lot of slave trading from the Gold Coast.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

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I have a copy of 'TinTin au Congo' - bought in the Congo.

[WOM]

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Good souvenir. Captures the memories.

[WOM]

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So Solidarnosc Crew wrote: I loved Tintin as a child, you know. Still do to some extent. Even then though I picked up on his representation of the Japanese and thought "Here, what's that about?". But this is another level, and I wish I was still ignorant about it.

Oh, he's very good with most of your popular ethnicities. Particularly good is his depiction of 'outraged Arab-type', as they're like that.

He also does an accurate 'hands-up-sleeves Chinaman' which makes you think you're actually there.

[Geoffrey de Ste. Croix]

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Yeah, and Hergé's depiction of the Scots in The Black Island as always in the pub, suspicious, never smiling, thrawn, kilt wearing and miserable was absolutely....spot on.

[beak]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

Vicarious Thrillseeker wrote: I have a copy of 'TinTin au Congo' - bought in the Congo.

I remember reading in article in my increasingly distant days studying anthropology that Tintin au Congo had some degree of popularity in the Congo, mostly on account of people laughing at can you believe this guy thinks we're like that?

Not sure how much credence to give it, like.

[Vicarious Thrillseeker]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

beak wrote:

I have a copy of 'TinTin au Congo' - bought in the Congo.

I remember reading in article in my increasingly distant days studying anthropology that Tintin au Congo had some degree of popularity in the Congo, mostly on account of people laughing at can you believe this guy thinks we're like that?

Not sure how much credence to give it, like.

It's all about the money, I think.

Racism sells.

[Toro Toro]

How much of this is true, and if so.....

Southport Zeb wrote:

Denmark?

Did a lot of slave trading from the Gold Coast.

Yeah, but they were also the first to abolish it, as early as 1792 I think.

And "best" is relative.