Neocolonialism

I recently learned a new term: Neocolonialism.

We're all sold that colonialism was bad. The only thing worse than the colonialism that most of the rest of the world did, was the non-colonialism that happened in Australia. I cannot believe that I learnt the words Terra Nullius at school but don't remember it being taught as a bad thing. It was a thoroughly evil thing.

Anyway, going into some chunk of land, 'settling' there, and then encouraging the indigenous population to assimilate into your culture (encourage being a euphemism in most cases of course), enforcing your economy on them but often with lesser rights offered, etc etc, is all really bad. And so we have this lovely term post-colonialism which encapsulates the way of thinking and the approach to life and whatever else that rejects colonialism and attempts to right wrongs.

Enter neo-colonialism. This is, as the name suggests, a new form of colonialism. Taking the sweat shops in China as an example, when I buy some cheap gadget that was made in China by someone who is being poorly paid, appallingly treated, and generally oppressed, I'm participating in one form of neo-colonialism. By partaking in that marketplace, I'm forcing my economy on that person, and essentially keeping them enslaved to a system designed to maintain my prosperity and their poverty.

All these concepts we're well aware of, if not from Graham's previous posts. But I just wanted to share that nice word with you!