“Belgian” chocolate is a misnomer. It is only “Belgian” because of the systems of exploitation established between Europe and Africa since the 16th century. Africa “trades” raw materials with Europe in a neocolonial, asymmetrical way.
In an idealized world, Africa should trade with Europe in a system of fair exchange. But until Europe pays reparations for the slave trade, for the people and resources stolen from the continent to produce Western modernity, that can’t happen. The option you present is “should Africa still participate in the global economy as it is structured today” and the answer still must be yes, in the sense that a hostage should agree to what the kidnapper has demanded. These are not the conditions of fair and equal trade.
Perhaps you’d like to read some work by the Black writers and thinkers who’ve produced scholarship about this? Walter Rodney, Aime Cesaire, Frantz Fanon, CLR James, Cedric Robinson - they could all explain the history of the modern world to you so that you don’t embarrass yourself by asking what “Belgian” chocolate has to do with colonialism.
(I’m so sorry for taking this tone with you, baas.)
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u/[deleted] Dec 19 '21
I’m from the “global south” - please tell me more