Jose Colaco wrote: >You are a finance man. You know that when Wealth is transferred from A (say >Goa) >to B (say Portugal), one would expect it to show up somewhere that B became >wealthy. > >Now, I know that Mervyn will demonstrate that. > >jc --------------------------------
Doc, One of my lecturers in Dar-es-Salaam was the Guyanese historian Walter Rodney. Here is a quote from him. "The decisiveness of the short period of colonialism and its negative consequences for Africa spring mainly from the fact that Africa lost power. Power is the ultimate determinant in human society, being basic to the relations within any group and between groups. It implies the ability to defend one's interests and if necessary to impose one's will by any means available. In relations between peoples, the question of power determines manoeuvrability in bargaining, the extent to which one people respect the interests of another, and eventually the extent to which a people survive as a physical and cultural entity. When one society finds itself forced to relinquish power entirely to another society that in itself is a form of underdevelopment ... During the centuries of pre-colonial trade, some control over social political and economic life was retained in Africa, in spite of the disadvantageous commerce with Europeans. That little control over internal matters disappeared under colonialism. Colonialism went much further than trade. It meant a tendency towards direct appropriation by Europeans of the social institutions within Africa. Africans ceased to set indigenous cultural goals and standards, and lost full command of training young members of the society. Those were undoubtedly major steps backwards ... Colonialism was not merely a system of exploitation, but one whose essential purpose was to repatriate the profits to the so-called 'mother country'. From an African view-point, that amounted to consistent expatriation of surplus produced by African labour out of African resources. It meant the development of Europe as part of the same dialectical process in which Africa was underdeveloped." Mr. Rodney may or may not be correct but I am sure he sows the seeds of doubt in even the most ardent non-believer, that colonialism did not benefit the colonized. As for your question on where the wealth showed up, I am of the opinion it was made just to annoy certain people :-) Nevertheless, I have been repeating as often as I can that if you want to get to the real cause of any event, your best bet is follow the money. The money or wealth in this case was transferred (and this is not to annoy anyone) in the form of gold. Gold moved from Goa to Portugal and not in the opposite direction, believe it or not. Lastly, I am told that people who own gold take pains to not disclose where it is. When required, they liquidate part of the same and build houses, castles or business empires. I am sure you will agree with me that there are much better houses, castles and business empires in Portugal, than in Goa. Political crooks? Mervyn1650Lobo
