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Hambredd t1_j6mpb98 wrote

Reply to comment by stefantalpalaru in TIL that between 1895 and 1908 the population of the Belgian Congo declined by between 2 and 13 million due to colonial brutality and diseases caused by colonialism. by hetkleinezusje

That's not what 'sins of the fathers' means. But how about we look into your cultural history and work out what you should be feeling guilty about.

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stefantalpalaru t1_j6mxtjw wrote

> That's not what 'sins of the fathers' means.

That is exactly what it means.

> how about we look into your cultural history and work out what you should be feeling guilty about

Tu quoque?

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Hambredd t1_j6oqs71 wrote

'The sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons'

Nothing about that suggests the descendants of criminals deserve punishment.

>Tu quoque?

I was making a play for empathy. I don't think you should suffer from the sins of your countries past, but I was hoping that would realise how stupid that is in concept if you thought about what it would be like for you.

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stefantalpalaru t1_j6oriai wrote

> I don't think you should suffer from the sins of your countries past

It's unavoidable, and so is benefiting from them. Go walk around Brussels sometime.

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Hambredd t1_j6ortpx wrote

So what's your solution?

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stefantalpalaru t1_j6osga4 wrote

> So what's your solution?

Awareness.

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Hambredd t1_j6osmwe wrote

Education isn't a punishment

How would you make Brussels suffer?

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stefantalpalaru t1_j6ot8bi wrote

> Education isn't a punishment

Isn't it, though?

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Hambredd t1_j6othbl wrote

Are you trolling me? Of course it isn't, it's a net positive. A punishment would be denying Belgium's education and sending the education budget to the Congo

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stefantalpalaru t1_j6ovp0v wrote

> it's a net positive

You think Germans enjoy learning about Nazi Germany? You think the French enjoy learning about Napoleon?

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Hambredd t1_j6own06 wrote

No more than I enjoyed learning about Nazi Germany. But learning about horrible things doesn't make your life worse. And hope they understand the world (you aside) doesn't blame them for the Nazis.

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