Would it just be cynical to think all the shmooze about a "post-colonial predicament" is a bit premature because the ex-colonies are still being "conquered" by Britain... but now through aid imperialism, not military might...? Or would I just sound like a lefty loon?!
Probably the latter!
But I did hear on the radio this morning that "the Conservatives have pledged £500 million a year to fight malaria in sub-saharan Africa if they get into government". Great!
Shadow Chancellor George Osbourne spent the weekend in Kampala with Jeffrey Sachs and is now convinced that treating malaria will lift people out of poverty. Great!
Then the hard-to-leave-behind-dream of Conquest sneaks in. Rather upfront-ly.
"If we properly monitor how the aid is spent... all of us have an interest in bringing, particularly, sub- Saharan Africa into the world economy just as... we did in Asia over the last 20 years, we have conquered, I should say we are conquering poverty in Asia".
