Comments by "" (@orboakin8074) on "I DEBUNK Woke History Lesson About Colonialism" video.

As a Nigerian, my opinion on colonialism will be more nuanced than that of most westerners. On one hand, it was brutal in some ways but on the other it did play a huge role in bringing much of Africa into the modern age via introduction of modern tech, medicine, western education, and nation building. My country literally wouldn't exist without the British. For all the issues we face, most of us wouldn't ever dream of not having a country of our own. Also, one major good it did was abolish slavery. I cannot be more thankful for the British using their naval power and economic might to suppress the slave trade in Africa. Oh, I know they partook in it for a time, themselves, but it existed here long before whites ever came to Africa. Even my own ancestors of the Edo kingdom were slavers. What makes the British different is that unlike other regional African and Arab powers, they had the cultural & religious framework, wisdom, humanity and courage to actually stop the evil of slavery even at huge cost to their economy.
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@EyesFoward um, the British fought several tribes in my country who were practicing slavery (even my Edo ancestors). They also fought and defeated the Zanzibar emirate/Sultanate and freed the black people they enslaved. You can look up the pictures of British soldiers sawing the chains off their legs yo free them. I never said the British didn't partake in slavery. They did but it existed here long before they or white people ever came to Africa. Africans enslaved each other and even Arabs had a slave trade here for many centuries. The British were obe of the few powers who abhorred slavery and fought to end it. They lost over 2000 soldiers in the process. Yes, they did it for their own ends but partly also to end a great evil called slavery. If I am lying, please correct me. You seem to know more than me, since you are "clearly" more African😂
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@dutchybag Hi friend. After looking into it, the "return to Africa" trend just feels as cringe and short-sighted as the trend of some Americans saying they will move to Eastern Europe (Balkans etc) because of how woke America is. It's just reactionary without any serious thought. With African Americans (black ones, anyway) i get the fact that their ancestors who were brought to America as slaves lost a good chunk of their African identity, hence their impetus for trying to re-claim it but, it doesn't work as easy as just relocating to a place and thinking you can fit in like that. Also, having an American identity is a pretty amazing thing. Not sure why they wouldn't want to continue having that as Black Americans. I am Nigerian but also of Edo ethnicity and while my tribe is not nearly widely represented here, I love my Nigerian identity. Also, if i were to relocate to Ghana, I would not just easily fit in to that country. Any kind of relocation like that should be done with serious thought and effort to assimilate into the culture while also considering the socioeconomic and cultural hurdles you will face. It should not be a trendy thing to just do, especially for divisive identity politics reasons.
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@Cinquemendy9906 Industrialization did play a role in ending the slave trade but it wasn't the main reason simply because other places like Brazil were also industrializing and still had slavery. And the British abolished slavery before industrialisation happened in the 1800s. Finally, yes, they did create many of the countries that exist today. The ancient kingdoms like Edo were not countries as we have today but their people still exist as part of countries. My ancestors are of the Benin Kingdom and I am a Nigerian today and an Edo man as well.
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@adityasingh7199 yes, the nation building was not perfect and borders were drawn sometimes arbitrarily with bad consequences. That being said, life is like that. We simply have had to adapt and build upon that foundation and progress. So far, we are doing a good job, not perfect but good. There is always a negative and positive outcome in any nation building. Even Ethiopia that was never colonized has had several civil wars and one ongoing with bloody ramifications yet my country has only one in history and we are also a larger economy than Ethiopia. Tribalism is not unique to only colonised African countries. And i will ask a final thing: do you believe most of us in current Africa would prefer to go back to the pre-colonial past before our countries, national identity and modernity existed?
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@dalitsobanda1032 that's true. But does that honestly make pre-colonial slavery good? What about human sacrifices, genocides, systemic rapes and cannibalism committed during that period? And the Europeans hadn't come and abolished much of it, would it have gone away? I mean, look at Mauritania. They were the last country on earth to abolish slavery and make it illegal......in the 1970s and 2000s. It is still being practiced there. That is the reality I am glad my country and much of Africa doesn't have.
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@dalitsobanda1032 but I didn't. I admitted as much when I said the borders were largely arbitrarily drawn and we have had to make the best and build on that foundation. But, honestly, considering how a country like Ethiopia that was never colonized and has had several civil wars and an ongoing bloody one, yet countries like mine have had only one and are developing better than Ethiopia and have better national unity, it shows that national issues and ethnic tension is not unique to colonized countries.
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@datsunmadman good for you, friend. It's good to see someone take pride in their identity and not feel any shame for it. Respect to you and you folks.
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@Bigwillystyle707 you are half right, friend but the British abolished slavery long before the industrial revolution. They also did it partly to undermined their colonial competition and to weaken local tribes that depended on slavery. But a major reason was a moral one. The growing abolition movement in the United Kingdom back then was also supported by Christian groups in government that viewed slavery as anti-christian and this helped push the issue of abolishing it.
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@jasonwhite7677 thanks for the correction, friend. I was definitely off in the number of troops the British lost in enforcing the anti-slave laws. Thanks again. My whole aim is to be objective and I appreciate folks who point out where I am wrong.
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@dargon1084 I'm coming at ya hard like Ben Shapiro🤣
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@ifeifesi But slavery existed around the world long LONG before the British or Americans or Europeans did. Also, I already acknowledged that they partook in the slave trade but are you telling me it didn't exist before them? Or that African tribes didn't enslave each other and sell slaves to the Europeans and Arabs? Why I give credit to them (the British) is because they were the first to actually condemn and ultimately abolish it. It started with British Quakers (a Christian sect) condemning slavery in 1688 and later in the early 1700s with European liberals and Christians gaining political influence and abolishing it in gradual processes, espcially in response to various slave revolts that made them aware of how inhuman it was. Then with enough influence, they abolished fully in 1838. There are photos of British sailors freeing slaves from Zanzibar after they fought the Zanzibar sultanate/Emirate. Correct me if I am lying. They were abolishing slavery long before the industrial revolution happened and even after it happened. SO moral reasons where involved, no matter how much pretend they were not. Can you tell me any African tribe or Kingdom or Arab tribe or kingdom that had a similar history or view towards slavery? The last country to abolish slavery was Mauritiania........in 1980s and the 2000s. Why did they take so long? That is why I will give credit to the British because that is how to be objective.
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@olaola3044 My guy, it's called being objective. In my comment you see I criticized the bad aspects of British colonialism but I also acknowledge some of the positives about it. That is just how to be objective, especially if you actually know and read history. Or can you tell me that anything I typed is a lie or inaccurate?
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@adityasingh7199 thanks for the kind words, friend. But you do have a right to ask questions and present opinions on Africa or any where, especially for constructive discussion like this. Please, don't ever feel that you have no such right.
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@MelaninMagdalene Yeah, no shit. Why do you think I don't mindlessly hate them like most people online? I like having a country, having capitalism, having democracy, and a national language and every benefit that comes with having a country and that is partly due to them. Heck! My great-grandmother, before she passed away in 2009, was alive during colonialism and she never had any negatives to say about the British and this despite her being Edo. Same with my grandma (her daughter) because both actually acknowledged the benefits that came with having an organized country where they would not be disenfranchised, even as a minority tribe. Plus, my grandma had access to better healthcare compared to what existed before, saw all her children survive childhood, receive good education, and rise out of poverty. You really need to get some perspective on how others live, friend.
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@zeehero7280 you said it friend😂 but seriously, yeah. That's one of the reasons why the whole woke trend and black victimhood junk going on in the west is so baffling to us here, and those of us who emigrate to the west. It's a symptom of living in a privileged and pampered society with no serious existential issues or struggle. So they have to create problems or simply eschew personal responsibility for their own lives. Sad.
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@Chigo-nr8jg Friend, your dating is correct and I made a mistake with some of my dating but you are wrong in saying I am lying for anyone. First off, abolition of slavery started in 1688 when British Quakers began to condemn slavery in the British empire. Then, several slave revolts i the late 1600s to early 1700 (long before industrial revolution) made European colonialists aware of teh inhumanity of slavery. Later, in the mid-1700s, as the enlightenment was underway and Christian groups (like the Quakers) and political reformists, like early Liberals and Christian theologians, began to widely gain more influence in politics and British society and even in parts of North America, condemned the slave trade as inhuman and expel slave traders from communes and even small territories within the British empire. All this led to the eventual official full-scale abolishment by the British in 1838. So, no. I am not "lying for Britain." They began abolishing slavery long before the industrial revolution and long before the 1800s. If I am wrong, please correct me but don't lie about my points.
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@MelaninMagdalene Actually, we have that knowledge and facilities. Our corrupt and inept government is what holds us back. Refineries are not well maintained, some are built far from oil sources, and govt/institutions embezzle money from them. Sadly, the same is largely the case for much of Africa😔😔 Also, we are literally the largest economy in Africa who have multiple global trade partners both here and in the west and poverty has been reducing fast here. We are benefitting from capitalism but I guess it would be hard to know that for someone who lacks perspective or knowledge of the outside world.
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@Christian-qq5sx Friend, I am not making anyone a hero. I am simply being objective. Also, did you read my original comment? I literally say that British colonialism was brutal but also did lead to positive outcomes. That is just historical fact. And as for sacrifices and rape, are you telling me that no African peoples did this to each other? What about the slavers of the Dahomey kingdom and what they were doing to the Oyo kingdom? Everyone's ancestors has done bad things and also done good things. To pretend otherwise is delusional. My ancestors were the same and so we're the British. Acknowledging this is a normal thing.
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@MancsGonewild oh, thanks for the extra info, friend. It's sad this actual history isn't taught in schools.
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@globalismoblackman how is being objective about history the same as Stockholm syndrome? I already said that colonialism was brutal in my original comment and also acknowledged the positive aspects of it, in regards to my own country and parts of Africa. That is objectivity. History is not just black and white. There is grey too. Or am I wrong in the facts I stated? You tell me. You seem.......smarter......
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@globalismoblackman I am not Yoruba. I am Edo. Also, you think I am the only Nigeria who has this mindset of being objective regarding history of my country? I replied to you and you couldn't make any good counter argument so you devolve to primitive insults like every other piece of trash online and even use tribalism to insult other groups like Fulani in Nigeria? Good for you "Strong Yoruba."
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@MelaninMagdalene look, believe what you want, woman. If I am British to you, whatever. I literally said our refineries are broken due to inept and corrupt government. Of course, we have to refine it outside. How exactly am I lying? You disagree with me. Just say that instead of trying to claim I am not Nigerian.
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@LordHogWaterer Um, I already acknowledged this in my comment thread. I know they partly did it to undermine regional tribal powers who depended on slavery and also to undermine their colonial rivals like the Dutch and the Arabs who heavily used slavery. I also know that part of the reason for slavery being abolished by the British was growing abolitionism from Christian groups like Quakers and liberal British politicians after the enlightenment and when both groups began to gain political power, the call for abolishing grew as well. So you cannot lie and say that they had no humanist reasons for abolishing slavery. Even after they abolished it, countries liek Brazil still continued slavery well into the late 1800s long after teh industrial revolution had happened. Also, the British literally lost 20,000 soldiers and millions of pounds to fight wars to free slaves and patrol coasts to free them. Correct me if I am wrong, friend.
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@kdot999 you are correct there, friend. The colonisation experience is different across Africa. In Congo, it was awful what the Belgians did.
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@comfusedWorldpassanger3399 your friend from Gambia has really good and objective perspective. Thanks.
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@jasperwinehouse9456 yeah, I have to agree with that to a point. My country that was colonized, despite our issues, is richer, developing socioeconomically faster and more nationally united compared to Ethiopia that was never colonized and has had several civil conflicts and an ongoing bloody one. Basically, what matters is what sort of system your country has (economic, political and social) We prefer to maintain/build on the democratic and liberal systems the British left us with, especially as it is the best one for maintaining national unity and civic nationalism.
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@QEsposito510 when and where did I ever say or insinuate I know more than westerners or anyone? I simply presented my opinion and some historical facts
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@kdot999 how is being objective about history the same as Stockholm syndrome? Or am I lying about anything I typed? Is any fact incorrect? Did I not criticize colonialism in y comment? Please, tell me, my wise "African" friend who clearly knows more than me😐
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@MelaninMagdalene Wow, I'm surprised by two things: You actually know who Aliko Dangote is and that you are not automatically accusing me of not being really black? That's a first. Also, we already have refineries in Nigeria but, as I mentioned previously, our inept government failed to maintain them properly for decades and to build more new ones. So of course the private sector has to step in.
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@MelaninMagdalene why would you assume I am not a Nigerian citizen?
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@MelaninMagdalene so BP is in charge of NNPC? BP are the ones in garge of managing the Nigeria Delta oil wells since our independence? I really think you need help and you are just looking for an excuse for my corrupt politicians. So basically all our issues are the fault of the British and we have no agency?
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@JKAnu-yq1tr so slavery never existed in Africa until European came? Is that what you are implying?
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@jonathanzentelin2815 thanks and God bless, friend.
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@youpeopleareinsane1285 why?
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@blackloki9 word of advice: please try to summarize long-winded points when having discussion with others or they might get bored or loose focus on any main point you were trying to convey🙄
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@daviddevault8700 Thanks for sharing, friend. Also, the fact that you Americans abhorred slavery enough to fight a brutal war to end it is a good thing in my book, and that of many others. Most places either had to be compelled by force to end it (as in the case of much of Africa here which we are thankful for) or just simply let it go underground like in the Arab world and some of Africa where it still exists.
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@mainamaseeti Well, yes. If anything I wrote is incorrect, please let me know.
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@Gott6666 simple, friend. There was no Nigeria in west Africa. There was just a group of various tribes in the area. It wasn't until the British began colonizing the southern parts and created the southern protectorate and later established the northern protectorate, which they subsequently merged into Nigeria.
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@tarasto6772 the Anglo-Zanzibar war, I believe. It's also the shortest war in history, hence why most folks have never heard of it.
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@pamgraham7867 King Melinek of Ethiopia was absolutely a great man who did a lot to stamp out slavery in his new country and in the surrounding areas but there is no record of him giving gold to Queen Victoria of England to abolish slavery. Also, the British were abolishing slavery since the 17th and 18th centuries and made it official in 1833. King Melinek was born in 1844.
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@henrysamuel8311 thanks. Usually when I discuss with other Africans on the internet, a loud portion end up insulting me and calling me a traitor to my ancestors and race, while they also try to justify slavery done by us Africans.
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@EvansKeita-we2yv thanks for the objective points, friend. Glad that you mentioned the growing abolitionist movement in the UK back then since most folks tend to ignore that. Said movement was largely spurred by British Christians and began as early as the late 1600s before the industrial revolution. When they gained enough political influence, they pushed for me abolition. The industrial revolution and changing sociocultural and economic tides(as you also mention) also helped abolish the practice
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@EvansKeita-we2yv As a fellow Nigerian, I totally get where you are coming from. Honestly, the way I rationalize it is that this kind of nation building and colonialism is not limited to us in Africa. The Europeans experienced the same thing with the Romans and the Mongols and the Ottomans. Same with every other society and tribe on earth. Even here in Africa, it was happening before them. The Sokoto caliphate did that in much of the north. The Songhai and even modern Ethiopia did that under Menelik II. What matters is the end result but also working in our current situation to improve things. Appreciate the benefits but also be mindful of the negative consequences. It won't be easy but at least we are better equiped to deal with it.
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@EvansKeita-we2yv oh, as a final point to help, not all forms of colonialism end up being overwhelmingly bad, especially of the former colonies decide to continue embracing the systems that they were left with (like how we in Nigeria still continue to build on what the British left us) There are genuinely terrible examples like Japanese colonialism of Korea and South-East Asia or Arabs in Sudan or Belgium in Congo but there are most aren't like that like Menelik II of Ethiopia who assimilated other tribes and even abolished slavery across Ethiopia.
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@EvansKeita-we2yv well said. Corruption and inept government plaguing us in Nigeria and Africa has no excuse at all
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