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Unpacking Colonization: Exploring the Comparison Between Colonizers and Locusts
Can we agree that colonialism in the form it had was bad?
The nightmare of colonization spans continents and centuries, leaving deep imprints on societies, cultures, and even the environment. It becomes evident that the principles underpinning the doctrine of discovery and colonization have had lasting effects, often leading to thought-provoking metaphors.
I recall our fear of an invasion of locusts one year in the Caribbean. They will eat everything and leave us with nothing, we worried. One of my friends was angry at a white man who left his black employees unpaid and unemployed, as he left the island unannounced because his hotel tax holiday incentive had expired. She called them locusts. I thought, “Hmmm, that seems harsh, but fitting.”
The Doctrine of Discovery and Colonization
The doctrine of discovery, rooted in European expansionism and exceptionalism, granted European powers the right to claim and colonize foreign lands they encountered during their explorations. This principle perpetuated the notion of superiority and dominance, enabling colonizers to exploit and reshape existing societies according to their own interests.
