Kipling (White Man's Burden)

 When I was in school (we took our notes on stone tablets) Kipling was on the reading list, and we had to read "White Man's Burden". Great poem. About how the Europeans had the duty to bring civilisation to the savages, even though the savages preferred their miserable, primitive lifestyle and hated progress. The White Man brought modern medicine, and cured all the savages' diseases. The White Man brought modern agriculture and eliminated all the savages' famines.

Then, of course, I read other histories, not the ones taught in Western secondary schools. The White Man brought the Native Americans blankets. And smallpox. And this, without the White Man having to lift a finger, exterminated more than 90% of the Native Americans.

And the British, needing grain for their armies in the World Wars, took all the food from the Indians and caused massive starvation.

And that is how Western Medicine and Western Agricultural methods eliminated diseases and famine for the savages: they were all dead, so no disease and no famine.

And yet, as Kipling complained, the savages did not appreciate the White Man's ministrations and kept rebelling, for reasons that escaped Kipling and many Westerners.

Those of us who read too much can see why some of the savages might not have appreciated the White Man's largess.

Fortunately, most Westerners get their information from the TV that reiterates that Kipling was right and those savages are a bunch of ingrates after all the West has done for them.