By A.S.
Because of today prevailing trends of political correctness and of the so-called “decolonization” of the universities, museums, and society in general, many are forgetting that the British Empire also brought many benefits to its colonies.
The construction of roads, railways, schools, and hospitals, alongside the improvements in regard to transportation, sanitation, health, education, agriculture, and manufacturing were some of such positive impacts on the colonies, as Dr. Bernard Lamb writes in the monthly magazine of The Freedom Association, The Free Nation.
He also claims that the British Empire made the mistake of leaving its colonies too soon. The reason for this is that, as Dr. Lamb points out, the former colonies were often ruled by former terrorists, the so-called “freedom fighters”.
One of such freedom fighters was Robert Mugabe, a Marxist who became the Prime Minister of Rhodesia after it gained independence, and was renamed Zimbabwe. He was imprisoned from 1964 to 1974 for anti-government activities. After he was released he led a terrorist organization ZANU in Mozambique, which was responsible for many civilian deaths. Later he fell out with ZANU, after he became an important political figure, and crushed the opposition, killing around 10,000 civilians in the process.
He wanted to redistribute land from white farmers and give it to blacks. He supported the violent takeover of the land that belonged to whites. This resulted in many of the white farmers fleeing or being killed or attacked, while the land was left to ruin as the new farmers were not able to tend to it properly.
On the other hand, as Dr. Lamb writes, the former white Prime Minister of Rhodesia Ian Smith, who ruled the land from 1964 to 1979, was a true freedom fighter, who tended to the wellbeing of the entire population, while fighting the black communist guerilla.