India is a crushingly poor nation. Its inhabitants live in squalor for the most part, even though India seems to be rising a bit, and some progress is being made. India’s infrastructure of railways, electrical, telephone, etc, plus government structure, was all done under English rule. The Brits civilized India, taught them English, taught them to build railroads, water purification, and even farming. The railroad stations, hotels, and government buildings built under British rule, are marvelous in their architecture and quality. All the Brits’ influence ceased, when India decided they wanted to go it alone. Those magnificent structures are decaying now, and although India may have progressed a bit since independence, the main thing that has increased is the population. I have never been to India, but have conversed with many who have, and they say it is a wonderful experience, if you don’t drink the water, eat too much native food, or demand a clean hotel room. The Indians still have millions of sacred cows roaming the countryside, and Hindus still think that a bug is not to be killed, as it may be poor old Uncle Henry who has come back as a cockroach.
The above paragraph may be a gross exaggeration, but not according to those to whom I have spoken. The point is that the white man, his brains, ability, and civilization, spread these qualities all over the world, and especially the English, whose empire at one time never had the sun set upon it, it was so vast.
Africa still is basically the “Dark Continent,” and is virtually un-civilized, with cannibalism and the most violent murders, rapes, and voodoo worship rampant. Most of Africa, at one time, was colonized and ruled by various European nations. These nations built infrastructure, educated, and brought civilization to these nations. These nations threw off their European civilizers, and have since, in large part, regressed to their former standard of living. What goes on in Africa, with disease and violence, makes a civilized person shudder. Various do-good programs of inoculations, feeding, and help, have gone nowhere, and the population keeps on growing. Copulation seems to be the main occupation of Africans. I have never been to Africa, nor do I want to go, but I have talked to many a person who has been there.
One man I know, went to South Africa years ago, to investigate the gold mines and diamond production, which of course the white man discovered and operated. When Neil returned, he told of men who wanted to work, having to be educated as to what ’right’ and ’left’ are, what a toilet, a steel tool, or electricity are. The total ignorance is appalling, and now that Africa has thrown off most of the white man’s civilization, and all he brought to them, mob rule is again becoming more and more common. White people are abandoning their farms and property in South Africa, to literally save their lives. Rhodesia was among the most civilized of African nations, thanks to the white man. Rhodesia was prosperous and exported food. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe when they voted out the white man, and it is now a no man’s land.
The American Indian, until the white man came, had no horses or guns, wore animal skins, had no written language, and lived as primitive a life as can be imagined. All the while, the white man was building cities and magnificent cathedrals in Europe, and quickly becoming more and more civilized. In the 1600’s, while the American Indian was living in tents or caves, Bach was composing marvelous music, and playing large pipe organs in those cathedrals. While the world was snoozing in their incompetence, the white man was building ocean going ships, and exploring the world.
White men, admittedly forced their civilization on those who had little to none. The white man may indeed have done so with much force and even cruelty, but it was done, and to the ultimate benefit of those who received it and learned from it. The Brits and others subjugated the Indians, but the white men taught farming, crop rotation, irrigation, brick laying, electricity, railroading, and democratic governing. In America, the Indians knew nothing about civilization of any kind. Their life style is almost revered by today’s whites, and collecting Indian artifacts gives many great pleasure. The fact is though, that the Anasasi were cannibals, and abandoned land after they had used it up, and moved on to other places. They were charming to many, even though their accomplishments over the centuries, were virtually zero.
I am not intending this to be racist. Just an observation. The Chinese and Egyptians had sophisticated civilizations hundreds of years ago, but for some reason, they disintegrated. From the last 700 years till today, it has been the white man who has fostered civilization, inventions, medicine, communications, transport, architecture, and any other field one may consider…in my opinion anyway, and these columns are strictly my opinions.
P.S. Today is Veteran’s Day, but was originally a celebration of the end of WW I, which occurred on the 11th day of the 11th month, at the 11th hour. Who remembers what it was called? Those ’corrections,’ don’t last long, do they? Don’t wait for one. You may be very sorry!