Black Lives Matter, Colonialism and Deliberate Oppression

The world is certainly in a funny time with the Coronavirus running through almost every health system globally and wreaking havoc. It is expected, however unfortunate this may be, that this pandemic has also exposed dramatic societal inequalities and brought them into focus. Unfortunately, this time in history has also seen examples of police and authoritarian brutality being publicly displayed in countries such as the United States. For example, the recent killing of George Floyd and many others highlight the rampance of police brutality in the US.

The Black Lives Matter movement has now gone global, with even English Premier League Football clubs in the United Kingdom kneeling before every game, to recognize systemic oppression in the UK, US and globally. In Asia, the Middle East and Africa, many corporate organizations also participated in social media events such as “Black Out Tuesday” to spread awareness of systemic oppression within society at large.

This conscious awakening is certainly welcome, however, it would also be useful to understand how legal and policy mechanisms have been designed deliberately and with great skill, to perpetuate systems of exploitation. This is not a design that is merely a few years old. This is a centuries old colonial methodology for obtaining value from others at the lowest unit price. In this system, the colonial masters always obtained disproportionate and unjustified amounts for their activities as slave owners (also known as “owners of capital” since slaves were considered “capital” not human beings under the law).

The Modern Impacts of the Slave Trade

It is well known that the original clauses of the US constitution were widely interpreted to consider slaves as less than “fully human.” Slave trading was a fully legalized and highly organized colonial corporate venture. In fact, if a slave managed to escape to a State in the US or region in the British Empire where slavery was outlawed, it was still possible to file a petition before the courts in order to “retrieve” the slave and deliver him/her into the possession of their owner. Slaves were vital to the colonial economy, contributing to agriculture, construction and almost every endeavour of commerce. In return, slaves were paid nothing, and were considered easily replaceable (meaning little human value was placed on the slave apart from their financial value in the legal system-the slave had few if any legal rights).

Nauseating as this reality may seem, many people will be shocked to know that the British government only finished paying slave owners reparations for the abolishment of slavery in the British Empire (which took place in 1835), in 2015! Yes, you read that right (sources available on request). This industry was so powerful that slave owners had enough legal leverage to DEMAND PAYMENT when slavery was abolished in the British Empire over 150 years ago. These payments continued until this decade! These payments didn’t go to the family of slaves, but to the relatives of SLAVE OWNERS.

It must also be recognized that many commonwealth countries have been deeply impacted by the colonial system of governance. From India to the far reaches of Africa, and in many parts of Asia, including the Middle East, many countries have adopted principles and themes from the British Common Law system wholesale. Whether it is in the form of how the courts are organized, or the corporate and commercial laws first seen and developed in the Colonial era, this is a global phenomenon.

Unfortunately, some poorer commonwealth countries have been slower to implement more modern and comprehensive human rights laws seen in the richer former colonies, such as the Human Rights Act (UK), Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Canada), Civil Rights Act (US) as well as others. Though this is changing slowly, it may be observed that the commercial attractiveness and efficiency of the colonial corporate system can seem irresistible to many smaller and poorer colonial regions. This financial irresistibility makes the implementation of human rights a little less appealing.

The Colonial machine, for all its faults, was a ruthlessly efficient system of commerce. Efficient perhaps for the colonial masters, but devastating for many others. In fact, the colonial imprint continues today, with great strength, as can be seen through the instances of police brutality in the US, and the reparations paid by the British government over the last decade. In fact, many Western governments have very distinct and clear policy positions when it comes to human rights issues discussed in Public, while having a very different approach for commercial and practical matters.

Politically correct and idealistic standards may apply in politics, particularly when it comes to condemning human rights abuses abroad. However, in practice, the commercial regulatory system allows banks and financial institutions to profit from and even fund questionable business ventures which are dubbed“highly efficient” and “high in returns” within the developing world. For example, many “highly efficient” ventures can depend on state sponsored monopolies, corruption, or excessively cheap labor. Many banks also trade commodities in mass, which include grain, wheat and other food products, procured from countries which are still struggling with hunger. Our firm has even come across stories in our line of work, which tell of how financial companies engage in speculative trading and buying of such commodities, like food, to drive up prices through stockpiling, and not fuel consumer demand.

The current regulatory framework for financial institutions has little to say about this. Therefore, the policy as it stands can be summed up as “let it continue if it makes us money.” This is probably reflective of the policy throughout the formerly colonial world, including the United States and UK.

Modern Slave States: Redlining and Property Restrictions

It may not be that well known, but the policy of “redlining” in the United States was quite common in many neighborhoods and districts, until the latter half of the last century. This was the policy of restricting and prohibiting mortgages and house sales to members of the Black community in certain neighbourhoods, which usually ended up being those with the best schools and amenities. These were formal restrictions imposed by private companies and government entities, enforced solely on the basis of race. Furthermore, even to this day, it is quite usual for Black communities in the US to receive a lower amount of funding, amenities or government support for public services such as schools, in comparison to other more privileged racial communities. For a large part of the last century, members of Black communities have still been treated as “cheap labor” in economic policy, distasteful as this may seem.

It is not only the US which is steeped in colonial era marginalization policies. It should be noted that until the late 60s, Canada heavily restricted and even outright prohibited non-white immigrants. Even the current Immigration climate in Canada views Immigration as a special “privilege” granted to the select few who are lucky enough to be “invited” to apply for a visa. This effectively means that visa applicants have limited rights to due process or charter protections under the law, with regards to their immigration status, particularly if they are temporary workers. However, the irony of this policy is that Canada, with its declining population, relies heavily on “immigrant labor.” It could be argued that Canada needs immigrants more than they need Canada, yet the policy is very deliberately designed to communicate and establish a different norm. When a new immigrant knows that their status in Canada as a newcomer may be subject to restrictions, they will be more willing to meet their employers stringent demands. Further, a select class of educated and highly productive immigrants are usually preferred for selection in the Canadian immigration system, which allows Canada to get people who “hit the ground running” upon their arrival. This policy simultaneously perpetuates a brain drain for countries in the developing world from which these immigrants are arriving.

Similar policies can be observed across almost every former colony or commonwealth country, where immigration is driven by “cheap” or “productive labor,” rather than humanitarian concerns (such as the right to free movement, as described in the UN declaration of Human Rights). Cheap labor is the pathway to profits after all.

The Reality: Colonial Policies Still Dictate Government Policy and Business

Whether we like to admit it or not, we are still living in a post colonial world. Colonial policies, like slavery, may seem like a vestige of the past, however, their motivating factors, such as greed, lust for profits, and disregard for human rights, remain prevalent in the world economy today. Many political forces, such as Hindu nationalist groups in India targeting poorer Muslim communities, the hard line Israeli forces occupying the West Bank, or far right political parties in the Western world like UKIP, have shone a spotlight on this truth.

The current Black Lives Matter movement is a welcome step in societal consciousness, as it exposes and counter balances these exploitive forces. However, while undergoing this awakening, it helps to be alive and open to the everyday colonial realities which have persisted and resisted any effort of reform for centuries.