Cold hard look at Commonwealth
ON March 17, P Wilson wrote highly of the Commonwealth for its democratic beliefs and culture and how the British nation in Commonwealth has a record on a par with most multinational organisations. Yes, the Commonwealth has some democratic members such as Canada and Australia, but he misses out the British treatment of its colonial empire which many today would find shocking – individual greed, wholesale discrimination, suppression of local cultures and in some cases outright military conquest. The independent Commonwealth countries are not all exemplars. Seven operate outright brutal dictatorial regimes such as that in Zimbabwe or nor should we forget the racism of South Africa – far divorced from British democracy and justice. Other ex-Empire countries, particularly those in the Middle East, have not joined the Commonwealth and operate regimes very different from P Wilson’s beliefs. Some British territories have become failed states – Somalia and Yemen are subject to international concern.
In contrast to be members of the EU, member states have to be democracies and follow the rule of law. Like the history of most postcolonial European countries, alongside pride is the knowledge that our rule was far from democratic and not ideal – that is why the empires collapsed and the territories sought to make their own futures and follow their aspirations unoccupied.
At this historic time it is important that we take a good and cold look at our options and not foster romantic notions based on imperial propaganda. If we do not we risk ‘jumping out of the fat and into the fire’. Myles Mackie Earlsdon Coventry