The conflation of slavery and colonialism

Dear Editor,

I have noticed a recent trend to use the phrase “linked to slavery and colonialism” (such as in the context of NT properties) as being something that is unequivocally negative. Indeed this seemed to be the case in the Channel 4 podcast to which you referred us in your latest newsletter.

Whilst slavery is rightly universally seen as an abomination, can the same be said of “colonialism”? I personally do not know the answer to this, but I imagine that the colonisation of North America, Asia, Africa, South America and Australasia by the Europeans is probably more nuanced than being entirely negative as seems to be the way the word is currently interpreted.

Was “colonialism” entirely a bad thing like slavery, or were there any positives for those being colonised? If so, surely we should be apprised of the good that colonialism brought as well as the bad and be given a more balanced history of colonialism.

Kevin Harvey
Ealing, London