The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

‘That Wretched Woman’

Posted on | September 12, 2022 | Comments Off on ‘That Wretched Woman’

This was certainly not the only ghoulish hate expressed by the Left after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but is perhaps the most interesting. What “genocide” was Uju Anya blaming on Her Majesty? This was the Nigerian Civil War of 1967-70, when the southwestern part of the country sought to secede as “Biafra.” The main causes of this war were (a) conflicts between ethnic groups and (b) control of Nigeria’s oil wealth.

Why blame the Queen? It was under her rule that Nigeria, formerly a British colony, was granted independence in 1960 and, obviously, the British had an interest in the success of the Nigerian government. So the attempt to divide the country by the secession of “Biafra,” was something Britain opposed. Interestingly enough, the Soviet Union also supported Nigeria in this war, while Biafra was supported by France and the Chinese Communists. There is no doubt that the civilian population of Biafra suffered severely — more than half a million died — from the famine that accompanied the war, but genocide? Some scholars have questioned whether that term should be applied to Biafra.

As in all civil wars, including our own, those who inaugurated the conflict in Nigeria must be held responsible for the consequences. The idea that Nigeria, having only recently gained its independence, should just let “Biafra” go in peace — well, my Confederate ancestors thought the Yankees should have done the same, but they didn’t, did they? Having read the Hood-Sherman correspondence after the fall of Atlanta, I cannot say Sherman was wrong: “Talk thus to the marines, but not to me.”

In assessing what Anya calls Britain’s “bloodthirsty throne,” we must compare the rule of Britain in Nigeria to other European colonial powers. Was Britain’s influence in Nigeria worse that the influence of the Spanish, the Portuguese, the French, the Dutch, etc., in their respective colonies? Is Nigeria worse off today than Angola and Mozambique, colonized by Portugal? Or what about the legacy of Belgium in the Congo, or the Italians in Somalia? Scapegoating the Queen for what happened in “Biafra” more than a half-century ago strikes me as evidence of Professor Anya’s unbalanced mind. That she is employed by Carnegie-Mellon University (cost of attendance $78,140 a year, including room and board) speaks volumes of the decay of our academic institutions.




 

Category: Great Britain, Nigeria

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