Jamaica Observer Editorial
July 19, 2015 EUROPEAN governments too often practise double standards, preaching one doctrine to non-Europeans and another, frequently the very opposite policy, to themselves. Their position is 'do as I say, not as I do'.
Critics have said that this double standard is rooted in notions of superior military technology, cultural hubris, the possibility of economic exploitation and racist assumption of superiority. All of these combined facilitated Western European conquest of non-European peoples whose wealth, such as gold, was plundered and their people exploited through enslaved labour.
As late Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Eric Williams explained in Capitalism and Slavery, Europe's industrial revolution was financed by the surplus extracted from colonies across the world.
The first double standard was when Europeans arrived in various parts of the world, subdued peaceful people whose societies were, in many respects, more advanced and "discovered" them. Next was to define them as inferior and primitive, and therefore granting themselves the entitlement to exterminate them or enslave them. While imposing servitude on others, they liberated their own from the bondage of feudalism.
Slavery was the ultimate double standard. Slavery for you and freedom for me. In any case, we apologised, so do not seek recompense through reparations.
Europeans say that was a regrettable history, but they claim to have made the rest of the world civilised and introduced democracy, capitalism, and many other beneficial things. In any case, this is not how they say they now behave. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Europeans tell us that globalisation is good for us and we just need to seek out opportunities. Caribbean countries are told that their tax havens are illegitimate but Europe's are not. Indeed, they are trying to force ours out of existence by accusing them of money laundering, inter alia.
The British were happy for Black people from the colonies to fight and die for the 'Motherland' in the two World Wars. When too many try to claim their right to live in Britain this was rescinded. After all, there are only so many needed to run the transport system. Jamaican 'Yardies' must go, but if they can run, box, play football or bowl fast they can stay.
The European Union (EU) has agreed to throw billions of good money after bad to help Greece. Understandable, since the European view of history is that Greece was the cradle of civilisation and gave the world democracy. Ms Christine Lagarde, a French woman who heads the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is now saying the EU should cancel some of Greece's debt. This is unheard of coming from the IMF.
Meanwhile, they are insisting that Jamaica pay all its debt in full and on time. Any debt cancellation is opposed by Germany, the country that has benefited from the biggest debt cancellation in history.
A charitable interpretation would be irony; we say it is the European double standard.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/Europe--A-case-of--do-as-I-say--not-as-I-do_19219531
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