Be careful not to fall into elite's language traps
Sunday 13 January 2013
Printable
EmailJohn Wight is fair enough in concluding his excellent article on the Falkland Islands (M Star January 7) with the point that the issue is "one of the last remnants of British colonialism."
It is a pity - and a political error - however, that the headline read: "The last remnant of British imperialism."
Conflating colonialism with imperialism is usually a ruling-class trick designed to make us all believe that imperialism is a thing of the past and that today's "world order," with its bloody interventions, is all about expanding freedom and democracy.
British imperialism has been on lurid display throughout this century to date, most obviously in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Sierra Leone and elsewhere, not to mention Ireland.
It reflects the interests of, above all, the commanding heights of British capitalism - the City of London and the giant monopolies.
It would be deeply demobilising if any Star reader believed that British imperialism was now just about the Falkland Islands.
Curbing and defeating imperialism, particularly "our own," is the central political task for the left today.
Andrew Murray
London N1
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