Mutilation, mass murder, modernity. The modern world has always been on a quest for progress; the idea of moving forward to a new and better destination. At the rise of human civilization to the current state the overall goal had been the same, accumulation of resources; whether this be in the form of monetary funds, crops, or land. The quest for resources and superiority has been evident throughout the ages, but was revealed in an especially heinous light during the exploits of the Belgian Congo, Slavery in America, and Bolivia. The Belgian Congo was a colony established in 1908, and owned by King Leopold II of Belgium. King Leopold like many others believed their duty was to civilize and protect, stated that he, “humbly volunteers for scientific
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Hit the shore with a gentle force, it immediately changed the landscape and what the future would hold for the country. All vacant land under King Leopold’s direction was then the property of the Belgian Congo. In the novel the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad’s the main character Marlow states, “I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you”. This statement showed that he genuinely thought it was his duty to civilize the Belgian Congo. Common misconceptions about the obligations of the civilized man drove them to being overpowering. The Authors of Worlds Together, Worlds Apart summarized the Belgian Congo as, “bringing civilization to a benighted people, in fact, their quest to enrich themselves, the first generation of colonizers despoiled the continent, enslaved and killed huge numbers of people, and returned parts of the country to a hunting and gathering mode of production.” The Belgian Congo was a self-righteous escapade of the entitled …show more content…
As seen in the Belgian Congo the obliteration of a country and their resources was brushed off merely as an operation risk. Again with Bolivia a country was exploited for personal gain and passed off with the label of progress loosely attached. Finally as laid out in the Dread Scott supreme court case, even individuals were pushed aside in the pursuit of capital gain. The flaws of one 's actions are rarely seen in the moment, but rather after the fact, when the opportunity for forgiveness has passed. Finally, can progress embody positivity if when reflected upon, the actions are considered to be unforgivable mistakes. The gravity of future and the steps to take are summarized by Domitalia when she states,
Hit the shore with a gentle force, it immediately changed the landscape and what the future would hold for the country. All vacant land under King Leopold’s direction was then the property of the Belgian Congo. In the novel the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad’s the main character Marlow states, “I had got a heavenly mission to civilize you”. This statement showed that he genuinely thought it was his duty to civilize the Belgian Congo. Common misconceptions about the obligations of the civilized man drove them to being overpowering. The Authors of Worlds Together, Worlds Apart summarized the Belgian Congo as, “bringing civilization to a benighted people, in fact, their quest to enrich themselves, the first generation of colonizers despoiled the continent, enslaved and killed huge numbers of people, and returned parts of the country to a hunting and gathering mode of production.” The Belgian Congo was a self-righteous escapade of the entitled …show more content…
As seen in the Belgian Congo the obliteration of a country and their resources was brushed off merely as an operation risk. Again with Bolivia a country was exploited for personal gain and passed off with the label of progress loosely attached. Finally as laid out in the Dread Scott supreme court case, even individuals were pushed aside in the pursuit of capital gain. The flaws of one 's actions are rarely seen in the moment, but rather after the fact, when the opportunity for forgiveness has passed. Finally, can progress embody positivity if when reflected upon, the actions are considered to be unforgivable mistakes. The gravity of future and the steps to take are summarized by Domitalia when she states,