Is colonialism a partner or collateral damage for technological advancements/products?

The colonial period itself spanned from the 16th centaury to the duration after world war 2, in which Hitler began stampeding to take over the world. It is often romanticized as this great period of adventure and exploration when travelling ships laden with otherworldly spoils of exotic lands returned to the European ports for “advancements”. So much so you can hear the Indiana Jones theme tune playing in the background. However, the harsh realism of colonialism was enslavement, exploitation, torment of the colonized and the industrialisation of global human trafficking. 

The abuse and degradation that the masses suffered under colonialism and imperialism resulted in detrimental consequences that persist to the present day, around the globe and in our industries. Although, colonialism is now seen by many as a discredited form of rule, technology companies understand they wield a power of dominance in the global economy and therefore their behaviour becomes increasingly colonial using “superiority” in the form of technology and lifestyle as an acceptable excuse to commit heinous crimes lead by: lawlessness, exploitation and even violence. 

Since, technological companies desire to strengthen their international presences across the globe, they are granted with capabilities that allow them to manipulate domestic and foreign heads of state in order to do their bidding. Frank Frantz, a philosopher and physiological analyst of oppression emphasises the horrific treatment to that of the mind, body and soul as he compares the treatment of those enslaved to that of an animal. Branded as a sign of owner ship and “stuffed their mouths” as a sign of forced indoctrination due to this false sense of superiority that the colonial held. During Anthropocene, although the definition denotes it to the current geological age in which human activity was the dominating influence, McKenzie Wark views the Anthropocene as the human activity through labour and technique which were then utilised to create man-made objects that were non-renewable. Since, ‘For the last two hundred years humankind has caused such a negative footprint on the environment that some scientists describe it as a new geological age: the age of human impact on Earth.’ As a result, the labourers are more than likely slaves of the colonised. Slavery was a common factor amongst colonialism as a means of portraying dominance of the colonialists over the colonised as well as reduction in the cost of production, whilst masking the damage that generally occurred during such activities. ‘Salvation of society depends upon changes in the techniques of production.’ For technical production to occur, labour is necessary. However, most businesses want to reduce their expenditure. Therefore by hiring and abusing colonised people as a way to reduce the cost of productions through wages (free since they are utilising slaves), no standard of health and safety within a working environment and of course the legal costs are cut, their aims are achieved whilst the affects that the colonised people and the environment sustain are seen as collateral damage.