French Colonial Empire.Good or Bad?

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

His next ID, if at all apprropriate, should be #fullofshįt

Well, prove to the forum that you're not "#fullofshįt", and answer the simple question below, then we can maybe get somewhere:

A simple question, what do you think is the driving forces for the creation of an empire, say the French Empire, the German Empire, the Belgians or the Dutch?

 

[Bodd]

Well, prove to the forum that you're not "#fullofshįt", and answer the simple question below, then we can maybe get somewhere:

A simple question, what do you think is the driving forces for the creation of an empire, say the French Empire, the German Empire, the Belgians or the Dutch?
Perhaps Harry's comment might help you to form an opinion:

It's a Dumb question. It was old fashioned thinking in a time that's so divorced from today

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

It's a Dumb question. It was old fashioned thinking in a time that's so divorced from today

It's not a dumb question, it's a simple question. There's a difference.
Perhaps you'd like to offer your opinion, Durhamplumber looks like he's scared to answer in case he makes a mistake.
What do you think is the driving force behind the creation of an empire?

I would add that it's a very relevant question in the light of the recent two threads.

 

[Bodd]

It's not a dumb question, it's a simple question. There's a difference.
Perhaps you'd like to offer your opinion, Durhamplumber looks like he's scared to answer in case he makes a mistake.
What do you think is the driving force behind the creation of an empire?

I would add that it's a very relevant question in the light of the recent two threads.

The French the British the Portuguese and the Dutch don't think like this now.
Are you now talking about the Russians or the Chinese?

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

The French the British the Portuguese and the Dutch don't think like this now.
Are you now talking about the Russians or the Chinese?

I'm talking about the British, the French, the Belgian, the Dutch, the German Empires, the Japanese, the Roman, the current rise of China, the recent rise of US interests abroad, practically any nations interest in deepening and broadening its interests internationally.
But the recent threads were about historical European Empires, so let's limit our discussion to those historical empires.
What is the driving force, or if you like forces, behind the creation of an empire?
I can only assume that either Durhamplumber is scared of making a mistake by getting it wrong, or he's suddenly had a Damascene conversion and seen the light.

Anyone? What is the driving force, or forces, behind the creation of empires?

 

[Bodd]

But the recent threads were about historical European Empires, so let's limit our discussion to those historical empires.
What is the driving force, or if you like forces, behind the creation of an empire?

But your asking what is the driving force?

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

But your asking what is the driving force?

It's a sad day when people can't answer a simple question without resorting to avoidance techniques.
Although I suspect that many have suddenly had a Damascene conversion.
The motives now are no different to the motives back then.
But just for you, you can tell us what is or was the driving force behind the creation of the European empires?

I notice that Durhamplumber has gone into hiding.

 

[Bodd]

It's a sad day when people can't answer a simple question without resorting to avoidance techniques.
Although I suspect that many have suddenly had a Damascene conversion.
The motives now are no different to the motives back then.
But just for you, you can tell us what is or was the driving force behind the creation of the European empires?

I notice that Durhamplumber has gone into hiding.

I can only imagine as it was thinking alian to me and before my time.

In times where care for human life was not important , it was a show of force. and attitude of we can do what we want. The British were the best a this.
Discovery of new lands brought the discovery of spices, fabrics and other valuables that could be traded without a care for the Indiginouse people.


Anything else?

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I can only imagine as it was thinking alian to me and before my time.

In times where care for human life was not important , it was a show of force. and attitude of we can do what we want. The British were the best a this.
Discovery of new lands brought the discovery of spices, fabrics and other valuables that could be traded without a care for the Indiginouse people.


Anything else?

A typical glossy version, Bodd.
It was the simple pursuit of wealth, power, and control.
There certainly might have been some supposedly benevolent motives, but these were really about power and control, e.g. supposedly religious domination, by Christian missionaries, but such attempts invariably introduce disease, or served to corrupt the base religion by merging it with local beliefs.
There were other purely racist motives, such as civilizing the indigenous, or educating the children of other "races", as typified in the Kipling's poem, The White Man's Burden. (Also codified in French as the civilising of other nations, mentioned by Durhamplumber, but I doubt he understood what it was)

For sure, there were some genuine intrepid explorers, but such missions were financed by those seeking the wealth that such missions would bring.

When people talk about the benefits that colonisation and imperialism has brought to other nations, such benefits were pure spin-offs of the real reasons for such colonisation. For example, railroads were built to ease the flow of resources, administrations were created to accumulate taxes, medical care was introduced to increase productivity, etc.

And this wealth created by the rich and famous in their raping and pillaging of other lands, was put to good use back home, to improve their status or increase their influence.

 

[Bodd]

A typical glossy version, Bodd.
It was the simple pursuit of wealth, power, and control.

What I said in other words

 

[Bodd]

When people talk about the benefits that colonisation and imperialism has brought to other nations, such benefits were pure spin-offs of the real reasons for such colonisation.

It begs the question.....what did the Romans ever do for us?

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

What I said in other words

OK, but when some talk of imperialism and colonisation bringing benefits to those masses that had been subjugated, let's not kid ourselves that there was any benevolent motives driving such colonisation, apart from the misguided missionaries, the few genuine sympathetic doctors and nurses who genuinely hated the enforced labour of the indigenous people, and the genuine adventurous explorers.
Imperialism and colonisation was driven by greed and total disregard for other people.

 

[Bodd]

The British where the best of the best at invading other lands.

No wonder​

After all we are Mongrel Viking Saxon Norman Romans. Not necessarily in that order.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

It begs the question.....what did the Romans ever do for us?

It certainly does beg the question.
Any benefits brought by the Romans was not for the benefit of the indigenous population.
It's a metaphorical and hypothetical question, and should be seen in that light.
The Romans did little for the indigenous population. That wasn't the motives for their invasions.

 

[Bodd]

OK, but when some talk of imperialism and colonisation bringing benefits to those masses that had been subjugated, let's not kid ourselves that there was any benevolent motives driving such colonisation, apart from the misguided missionaries, the few genuine sympathetic doctors and nurses who genuinely hated the enforced labour of the indigenous people, and the genuine adventurous explorers.
Imperialism and colonisation was driven by greed and total disregard for other people.

Couldn't agree more