How did differing colonial exper. in S.E. Asia, Austrialisa, and New Zealand create diff contemp. hum. geogra?

Question

How did differing colonial exper. in S.E. Asia, Austrialisa, and New Zealand create diff contemp. hum. geogra?

Answer 1

There is a lot of contrast Australia & New Zealand on one side has from SE Asia on the other.

Many geographers, historians, imperial gazetteers when writing imperial experience are blind to an important fact. In many places there are settled populations, much more densely stacked with civilizational experiences pre-dating those of the imperial powers. Except Europeanising them, colonial rulers need not have to do much.

Like chalk is different from cheese, in sparsely populated vast tracts on globe, colonial (& colonialists') experience is different to the above mentioned lands. In 18, 19 & first half of 20th centuries the greatest historical activity of Europeans is supplanting these indigenous populace with their own. This can not be achieved by coaxing, cajoling or by love. Of them all, Americans are the cleverest in 'not' being imperialists. But they crave for your compassion being victims of imperialism! A new word needs to be coined for explaining this, as 'Hypocricy' doesn't serve the purpose here. It is all there, for anyone to see the contrast like through a glass door, without the necessity of peeping through its key-hole that some insist just so to experience a thrill of discovery! This is 'height of you know what'.

SE Asia took upon the colonial experience as a layer more on their civilizational experience. This experience prepared them to face 20th century and being not morons, they did it with panache and keep doing it successfully in 21st century.

In North America (except Mesoamerica), Australia and New Zealnd the indigenous populations have been made to vanish. It may not be ethnic cleansing, suffice to say 'target practice' for colonial adventurers. Their human condition that was not good to start with, has been allowed to deteriorate and that consumed the population. All this was happening when on the proximal side colonialist Europeans were improving their lot, with a 'benign indifference' towards natives, aborigines such unclassifiable anthropoids. Remnants of native struggle is pathetically enacted in a politico-comic charade called 'demanding for ethnic rights' by North American original inhabitants' reserves (I wouldn't call them 'Indians' as that would be an insult!), as the constitution guarantees this right to them (All men are created equal and all that!).

Even today the way it was organised, the British Empire evokes awe and admiration. Amongst imperialists, it was the most enlightened and most double-dealing if you want to deal with. In it there was (is!) a hierarchy of political entities. There were colonies, vassals (protected territories & protectorates), mandatory territories (spoils and innards of past vanquished empires). 'Dominions' are above all these, populated by their own kind (and still do), like what some wasps do to kill their prey to embed them with own eggs. This was also an honour the British Crown accorded to Ireland, South Africa as these were dominated by fellow Europeans and India and Pakistan in the interregnum. Australia, Canada and New Zealand are dominions now. If you insist calling it 'colonial experience', the experience in these is no different from the British have with UK government. So much so, it will be a big joke, if any from Australia or New Zealand calls for independence, that will bring tears to the laugher.

Tomes can be written on the democratisation, constitutional development of these tracts in SE Asia and its thick tail into the Pacific. That would merely be an academic exercise.