3 ms·

> it was always about worshiping those who succeeded, regardless of how bad they had been, as long as they did some good at some point. This is extremely true!

> it was always about worshiping those who succeeded, regardless of how bad they had been, as long as they did some good at some point. This is extremely true! Probably the best example of this is Cecil John Roads (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Rhodes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Rhodes) who was a ruthless businessman who owned countries, started wars and engaged in unsavory business practices. Yet he is fondly remembered for the Rhodes Scholarship and his donations to the University of Oxford.

forensic 15y ago
This revisionist view of Rhodes is overly negative. He was an empire builder but his prime motivation was to modernize the world. Rhodesian policy led to the end of the empire, in fact. This is just overly simplistic character assassination. Rhodes was way more complicated than you make him out to be. I remember reading one of his lectures where he was telling the class that now their duty, as wealthy and cultured modernists, was to serve the uncivilized and poor of the world and to bring the luxury and comfort that aristocrats knew to everyone. Rhodes taught altruism and service to the unfortunate and his legacy is many powerful people who worked to better the world, inspired by Rhodes.
- Untitled 15y ago
  > He was an empire builder Rhodes was not an Empire Builder. He was a company builder. His company was the British South African Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_South_Africa_Company http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_South_Africa_Company). > but his prime motivation was to modernize the world. Rhodesian policy led to the end of the empire, in fact. His motivation was to make money. You know that he tried to start a war? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_Raid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_Raid Which led to two other wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Matabele_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Matabele_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War The "British South African Company" that fought in these wars was a paramilitary unit that belonged to his company. > Rhodes taught altruism and service to the unfortunate and his legacy is many powerful people who worked to better the world, inspired by Rhodes. Maybe he tried some veneer after he became rich - but he was still a bastard. (Even his Rhodes scholarship is designed to Anglicise. It is impossible for a person to obtain the Rhodes scholarship unless he studied in English).
  - forensic 15y ago
    Wtf? Rhodes was known as "The Empire Builder" Who is teaching you this bullshit history? Demonizing historical figures instead of studying them in the context of their time is really pathetic.
    - Untitled 15y ago
      > Rhodes was known as "The Empire Builder" Maybe you misunderstood me. You say that he was a selfless Empire Builder - i.e. he had some zeal to build the English Empire for the good of the queen and England. Yet his true aim was making money (through the British South African Company). > Who is teaching you this bullshit history? > Demonizing historical figures instead of studying them in the context of their time is really pathetic. Trying to whitewash history and historical figures is quite sad. Admittedly I learnt history from a different perspective than you (i.e. from the side of the oppressed and not the opressee). Yet even in western countries, colonialism is now seen as a bad thing by the majority of people (a few nationalists and apologists notwithstanding).

forensic 15y ago

This revisionist view of Rhodes is overly negative. He was an empire builder but his prime motivation was to modernize the world. Rhodesian policy led to the end of the empire, in fact. This is just overly simplistic character assassination. Rhodes was way more complicated than you make him out to be. I remember reading one of his lectures where he was telling the class that now their duty, as wealthy and cultured modernists, was to serve the uncivilized and poor of the world and to bring the luxury and comfort that aristocrats knew to everyone. Rhodes taught altruism and service to the unfortunate and his legacy is many powerful people who worked to better the world, inspired by Rhodes.

Untitled 15y ago
> He was an empire builder Rhodes was not an Empire Builder. He was a company builder. His company was the British South African Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_South_Africa_Company http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_South_Africa_Company). > but his prime motivation was to modernize the world. Rhodesian policy led to the end of the empire, in fact. His motivation was to make money. You know that he tried to start a war? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_Raid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jameson_Raid Which led to two other wars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Matabele_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Matabele_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Boer_War The "British South African Company" that fought in these wars was a paramilitary unit that belonged to his company. > Rhodes taught altruism and service to the unfortunate and his legacy is many powerful people who worked to better the world, inspired by Rhodes. Maybe he tried some veneer after he became rich - but he was still a bastard. (Even his Rhodes scholarship is designed to Anglicise. It is impossible for a person to obtain the Rhodes scholarship unless he studied in English).
- forensic 15y ago
  Wtf? Rhodes was known as "The Empire Builder" Who is teaching you this bullshit history? Demonizing historical figures instead of studying them in the context of their time is really pathetic.
  - Untitled 15y ago
    > Rhodes was known as "The Empire Builder" Maybe you misunderstood me. You say that he was a selfless Empire Builder - i.e. he had some zeal to build the English Empire for the good of the queen and England. Yet his true aim was making money (through the British South African Company). > Who is teaching you this bullshit history? > Demonizing historical figures instead of studying them in the context of their time is really pathetic. Trying to whitewash history and historical figures is quite sad. Admittedly I learnt history from a different perspective than you (i.e. from the side of the oppressed and not the opressee). Yet even in western countries, colonialism is now seen as a bad thing by the majority of people (a few nationalists and apologists notwithstanding).