Hadrian’s Wall was indeed an act of colonialism. Roman colonialism. Those Romans met their match with the Picts and built a wall to keep them out of the rest of conquered Britain rather than extend their empire northwards. Given that it is a story of our isles, why would it need decolonising?
Taxpayers are to fund a £475-a-day expert to ‘decolonise’ parts of Hadrian’s Wall.
A newly created post aims to address ‘Britain’s colonial past and systemic racism’ at two ancient forts on the wall – even though they were built by the ancient Romans who invaded Britain, leading to the deaths of an estimated 750,000 people.
Critics have pointed to the double standard of seeking to denigrate Britain’s colonial past while celebrating the achievements of the Roman Empire.
The ‘decolonisation specialist’ is to be employed by the council-funded Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums group to cover nine locations in North East England.
This, frankly, is the worst kind of revisionism. Hadrian’s Wall is what it is. A reminder of the Roman conquest of Britain. It has fuck all to do with subsequent colonialism by Britain in later centuries.
Last night, historian Jeremy Black, said: ‘Decolonisation is the gravy train for third-raters who hate their country and its history. There is absolutely no merit to this proposal and expenditure.’
Yup.
And Chris McGovern of the Campaign for Real Education, said the push to ‘decolonise’ museums was obsessed with British rule.
He added: ‘Any evaluation of the British Empire needs to be placed alongside the monstrous imperial rule of so many other empires.
‘As for the Romans in Britain, a museum needs to point out that the Romans, including Africans, were here as an army of occupation and they enslaved and killed people.’
Yeah, but, no, but, yeah, but no but, wypipo bad, m’kay?
The heritage group said its decolonisation strategy ‘provides us with an opportunity to better understand enduring legacies of empire, migration, and the experiences of diaspora communities in North East England; secondly, it provides a space to reimagine a museum where those legacies no longer dictate approaches and practices.’
No. It’s revisionism.
Nice to see that in Tyne & Wear there’s no potholes, such that the council can waste money on this..?
It’s about time useless appointments like this were exposed properly. A name and shame campaign aimed at those who come up with and implement them might be a start, then using the culprits’ salaries to fund the crap would make them take notice. Tar, feathers and stocks also spring readily to mind.
“Decolonisation is the gravy train for third-raters who hate their country and its history. There is absolutely no merit to this proposal and expenditure.”
Pretty much nailed it there. Colonialism is something that happened in the past and only idiots thing that Britain was the only, or even the worst, offender. In any case, even the worst occupations weren’t totally negative, we are still using Roman roads even now and those Indians seem to really love their IPL cricket.
My’ Bullshitometer’ is on high alert when i hear this sort of thing.