The community of nations that
evolved after World War II is largely a set of nations, stitched
together by a false thread, woven in the image of a collection of mostly
failed European empires. The Middle-East, Africa, and south Asia still
bursts with amalgamated "nation states", while Europe continues to purge
itself of the relics of the great Wars.
In Africa, Nigeria, Sudan (now split), Zaire (Kinshasa), Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire (to name a few) a European colonies of multiple nations, bundled together into nation states for ease of European empire-state administration. Anglo-Nigeria was so named, since it was the homogenous land claimed by Britain and all its neighbors where French colonies. Some parts of Eastern Nigeria and Western Cameroon changed hands from Germany to Britain and France after World War I.
Iran, Syria, Jordan, Palestine (now Israel, West Bank and Gaza) where relics of the Ottoman Empire that fell into the hands of European conquerors from World War I, and Egypt, Libya, Tunisia fared not much better.
Indian (later India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri-Lanka) were simply part of the British India until the end of World War II, as were many other South East Asian states (French or British, a sign of who the European presumed winners of World War I were).
So 70 years after the War, and more than quarter of a decade after the the end of the succeeding Cold war, many of the chicken of European empire based cannibalization of nation states are coming to roost, and the world lacks the will to address the aftermath in a thoughtful, history-respecting, accommodating, humble, and purposeful manner.
In Africa, Nigeria, Sudan (now split), Zaire (Kinshasa), Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire (to name a few) a European colonies of multiple nations, bundled together into nation states for ease of European empire-state administration. Anglo-Nigeria was so named, since it was the homogenous land claimed by Britain and all its neighbors where French colonies. Some parts of Eastern Nigeria and Western Cameroon changed hands from Germany to Britain and France after World War I.
Iran, Syria, Jordan, Palestine (now Israel, West Bank and Gaza) where relics of the Ottoman Empire that fell into the hands of European conquerors from World War I, and Egypt, Libya, Tunisia fared not much better.
Indian (later India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri-Lanka) were simply part of the British India until the end of World War II, as were many other South East Asian states (French or British, a sign of who the European presumed winners of World War I were).
So 70 years after the War, and more than quarter of a decade after the the end of the succeeding Cold war, many of the chicken of European empire based cannibalization of nation states are coming to roost, and the world lacks the will to address the aftermath in a thoughtful, history-respecting, accommodating, humble, and purposeful manner.
Comments
Post a Comment