The hottest Colonialism Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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This Is What It Looks Like When You Give Zionists Everything They Want

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 2943 implied HN points • 17 Mar 26
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Zionism as practiced produces nonstop violence, massacres, bombings, destruction, displacement, and civilian suffering across historic Palestine and neighboring countries.
  2. The idea of a peaceful, egalitarian Zionism is a fantasy; in reality the state depends on continuous military force, repression, and apartheid to sustain itself.
  3. That system also fuels Islamophobia, erodes civil liberties, empowers warmongers, and diverts money from social services into war, showing the ideology is a failed experiment that should be ended.

Nueva Australia

Kvetch • 65 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. After the violent defeat of the 1891 shearers’ strike, William Lane led 220 Australians to Paraguay to try to build a new white, socialist utopia called Nueva Australia.
  2. The community ran on strict communal rules—no alcohol, no private property, and racial separation—and those rules plus disagreements over labor and women caused bitter infighting and a split within months.
  3. The utopian project collapsed within a few years and Lane eventually returned home and turned conservative, while many descendants stayed in Paraguay, becoming Spanish- and GuaranĂ­-speaking cattle ranchers who adopted private landholding.

The ways of empires

Global Inequality and More 3.0 • 1766 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. The nation-state order is failing to handle mass migration, ecological collapse, and rising inequality, while a few mega‑companies are eroding institutions and raising systemic risks.
  2. Empires have historically justified domination in different ways—religion (Europe), property and commercial plunder (Britain), law (United States), and control of nature (China)—and those ideas enabled extraction at home and abroad.
  3. Rather than disappearing, states are likely to be co-opted by techno‑feudal elites who combine technological power with the state's legal coercion to entrench control instead of expanding real power to ordinary people.

No, You Are Not on Indigenous Land

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3042 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. Territory is made and enforced by institutions and force, not by racial identity, and most land has been taken and retaken through conquest.
  2. Restoring land to the most recent pre-state occupants wouldn’t return it to some original people, because earlier groups also displaced others in turn.
  3. Claiming perpetual ownership based on being the first human to occupy a place is philosophically weak and would unfairly consign many peoples to permanent dispossession.

The Stranger King of Venezuela

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 581 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. A “Stranger King” is a recurring mythic pattern where an outsized outsider gains legitimacy by seeming above the rules, forming alliances with local elites, and being domesticated through social contracts rather than simple conquest.
  2. The US intervention in Venezuela reads like a Stranger King scenario: an overt grab for resources framed as overthrowing a despot, with some Venezuelan elites or exiles potentially treating it as a useful usurpation rather than a straightforward invasion.
  3. Trump projects a Stranger King persona at home by posing as an estranged outsider above norms, which helps followers ignore his faults but also risks alienating supporters and creating political instability.
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Greenland, sine ira et studio

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 145 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Trump's push for Greenland is rooted in real strategic concerns about the Arctic and in his doubts about NATO; when he questions the alliance he leans toward seeking more direct U.S. control over key territory.
  2. Denmark and other European states are effectively unable to sell Greenland because of constitutional limits and post‑colonial political commitments, so the idea of an easy transfer of sovereignty is unrealistic.
  3. The U.S. presence in Europe functions like an informal empire that gives Washington influence and economic benefits, and Trump's strategy mixes pressure on NATO with efforts to cultivate friendly populist parties to sideline the EU — a move that risks political blowback in Europe.

The Myth of the West: Democracy and the State

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 90 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. For most of human history people lived in small, largely egalitarian groups rather than in states with kings. Living under a state is a very recent and uncommon part of our species’ experience.
  2. States only arose when special conditions — like control over easily stored resources — let a few people seize power, so agriculture did not inevitably produce states. Large, organized societies without kings have existed and still offer alternatives.
  3. Modern 'democracy' as a state structure is different from the long-standing practice of collective decision-making, and genuine self-governing community life can exist without a state. State-backed notions of freedom can mask elite dominance and imperial claims.

Land Ownership, Individualism, and Government

In My Tribe • 516 implied HN points • 30 Nov 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Colonialism
  1. Individual land ownership in England led to a more individualistic culture, where people felt more autonomous. This was different from collective land ownership seen in other societies.
  2. The idea of owning land individually influenced how Americans treated property and shaped their views on government and liberty. It made property ownership a key part of cultural identity.
  3. Government in the U.S. plays a crucial role in housing finance because home ownership is so important culturally. Political leaders felt they had to step in to support homeowners, even when it didn’t always work out well.

Factory Settings

Anima Mundi • 164 implied HN points • 21 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Colonialism
  1. Our attention is being systemically captured by surface-level distractions and entertainment. This extraction of time and focus prevents people from noticing and addressing deeper systemic harms.
  2. Key institutions like healthcare, governance, and the economy are often structured around incentives that serve profit, process, or power rather than genuine human flourishing, and colonial extraction still shapes who controls land and resources.
  3. Decolonization means reclaiming internal sovereignty by questioning inherited beliefs and deliberately choosing the values and systems you live by, not trying to return to an imagined pure origin.

Rudyard Kipling

David Friedman’s Substack • 314 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
đź“š Literature Colonialism
  1. Kipling is a technically impressive, versatile poet who masters dramatic monologues, formal experiments like the sestina, parodies, and vivid metrical storytelling. His craft makes modern metaphors and tight meter stand out.
  2. His politics have been widely misunderstood; many works show nuance and sympathy for non‑European characters and often criticize incompetent or heavy‑handed imperialists rather than claiming racial superiority.
  3. His poems explore big themes—bitter self‑revelation and lifelong devotion, critiques of political violence, the economics and limits of empire and force—using memorable speakers and strong narrative meter.

Decolonizing The World (w/ Amin Husain) | The Chris Hedges Report

The Chris Hedges Report • 145 implied HN points • 22 Jan 26
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Palestine today reveals an extreme form of settler colonialism that uses dispossession, erasure, and violence as a model for maintaining power. It shows how these same logics of control are linked to global systems of empire and racialized capitalism.
  2. Museums, universities, and cultural institutions often reproduce colonial stories and are backed by wealthy elites, so they shape public memory and block justice. Activists can challenge those narratives through targeted protests, alternative education, and concrete demands to win real change.
  3. Effective resistance requires broad coalitions and tactics like boycotts, strikes, refusal, and building independent infrastructure. Because money and state power protect the status quo, movements must connect struggles across communities and sustain long-term organizing.

The curious case of Qingdao, China's land value tax

Progress and Poverty • 1539 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
đź’Ľ Business Colonialism
  1. Qingdao implemented a land value tax that focused on the unimproved value of land, which helped reduce speculation and boost development. This tax system meant that instead of taxing income or trade, the main focus was on land, aiming for a fairer economy.
  2. Despite its successes, Qingdao's regime had significant flaws, including no real democracy and the extraction of natural resources for foreign benefit instead of local empowerment. This shows that good economic policies must also consider fairness and local benefit.
  3. The case of Qingdao teaches us that even a straightforward land value tax can lead to economic growth and success, as long as assessments are frequent and transparent. It highlights the importance of making land accessible and fairly taxed to prevent speculation.

The Ambonese Woodlot Edition

Why is this interesting? • 1085 implied HN points • 15 Jul 25
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. A plot of land in the Netherlands tells a deep history of World War II and colonialism. It has a hidden past with a house disguised as a normal home, which once stored munitions.
  2. The Ambonese refugees lived in a unique woodlot in the Netherlands, holding onto their dreams of independence. This place helped them preserve their culture and history for years.
  3. Our surroundings are filled with layers of history, often overlooked. Unlike places where change is constant, some areas remind us of past events and the stories tied to them.

"Blind Imperial Arrogance," by Edward Said

Pen>Sword • 1278 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Imperial power is not just about military might, but also about imposing a perspective on distant lands and people, leading to conflicts between rulers and the ruled.
  2. American strategic interests in the Middle East have historically focused on securing oil supplies and supporting Israel, shaping its policies and perspectives in the region.
  3. The Orientalist view has perpetuated a denial of Arab self-determination, portraying them as incapable and fundamentally violent, contributing to ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.

The Miracle Man of Suez

Kvetch • 43 implied HN points • 07 Feb 26
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. A single leader's stubborn, relentless will can push an audacious engineering project past political and technical barriers.
  2. Monumental success required new machines, massive labor, and clever engineering, but it came at a terrible human cost and nearly bankrupted local authorities.
  3. Selling shares to thousands of small investors can raise huge sums and build public support. But relying on that and on personal confidence while downplaying engineering and financial risks can lead to ruin.

Greenland

Nemets • 194 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Greenland's human history has been shaped by repeated migrations and climate change, with different Arctic peoples arriving, adapting, and sometimes disappearing as the environment warmed and cooled.
  2. Danish rule and 20th-century modernization brought infrastructure, trade, and political reforms but also introduced disease, forced sterilization programs, and lasting health and demographic problems for Greenlanders.
  3. Greenland's strategic location and rich natural resources have attracted major-power interest, creating a push-pull between foreign partners (notably the US and China) and dependence on Danish subsidies that fuels debate over independence.

There Is Only One Way Out of This

Discourse Blog • 1926 implied HN points • 09 Oct 23
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. The violence in Palestine and Israel is directly linked to Israel's occupation, killings, and apartheid state.
  2. All human rights organizations concluded Israel is an apartheid state that systematically oppresses Palestinians.
  3. The only solution to end the violence and conflict is for Israel to end the occupation, apartheid state, and blockade of Gaza.

Global 1% own 43% of financial assets, 5 richest billionaires doubled wealth while 5 billion workers got poorer

Geopolitical Economy Report • 1076 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. The top 1% own a significant portion of global wealth, while billions of workers have seen a decline in their financial well-being.
  2. The wealth of the five richest billionaires doubled since 2020, while a large percentage of humanity experienced a decrease in wealth according to Oxfam.
  3. Inequality is stark between the Global North and South, with the economic system perpetuating disparities, reminiscent of a new form of colonialism.

February 9, 2026

Letters from an American • 33 implied HN points • 10 Feb 26
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show drew record viewers and used Puerto Rican symbols and history to push back at critics who said he isn’t American, framing Puerto Ricans and Latin America as part of 'America.'
  2. Puerto Rico’s unequal relationship with the United States was shaped by late‑19th‑century economic interests—especially the sugar industry—and by racial politics after the Spanish‑American War.
  3. Legal decisions created a long political limbo: early rulings made Puerto Ricans 'noncitizen nationals' and citizenship came in 1917, but residents still cannot vote for president from the island and have only limited congressional representation.

Must we have these institutions forever?

Something to Consider • 139 implied HN points • 10 Jul 24
đź“– Philosophy Colonialism
  1. Our institutions and rules affect how well a society can produce and grow. Good institutions help foster trust among people, while bad ones can keep societies trapped in poverty.
  2. The legacy of harmful practices, like the slave trade, has long-lasting effects on trust and cooperation in societies. Areas that were heavily affected tend to have less trust even today.
  3. Changing poor institutions can help lift countries out of poverty. This might involve outside help or imposing better rules that foster cooperation and trust among the people.

Global Britain and King Charles’ Great Reset

Matt Ehret's Insights • 1493 implied HN points • 08 May 23
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Global Britain exerts vast control over African mining concessions with over $1 trillion worth of resources controlled by British companies.
  2. The City of London is the nerve center of world finance, running trillions in corrupt practices globally via offshore tax havens.
  3. British intelligence, as the creator of the Five Eyes apparatus, has been tied to supporting terrorist groups and cultivating radical ideologies internationally.

The Peace of Westphalia as a Lesson in Solving Religious Wars Past Present or Future.

Matt Ehret's Insights • 1434 implied HN points • 15 Oct 23
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 transformed world history by setting the foundations for the concept of sovereign nation states.
  2. The Treaty of Westphalia aimed for a perpetual, true amity among nations while promoting forgiveness for past transgressions - principles applicable to all civilizations.
  3. The economic developments following the Treaty of Westphalia, such as infrastructure projects in Europe, demonstrated the vitality and benefits of peace among nations.

On Terrorists and Freedom Fighters

Pen>Sword • 838 implied HN points • 13 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. The film 'The Battle of Algiers' showcases the struggle of people fighting for independence and challenges the labels of 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter' in colonial contexts.
  2. Laws in colonial and settler colonial states often delegitimize self-determination and dehumanize resistance, labeling it as 'terrorism' along racial lines.
  3. Racial dynamics play a significant role in how individuals involved in conflicts are perceived, with white actors more easily perceived as 'freedom fighters' while non-white individuals are often labeled as 'terrorists'.

An Israel-Palestine Reading List

Glenn Loury • 793 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
đź“š Literature Colonialism
  1. The reading list on Israel-Palestine conflict includes diverse perspectives and historical accounts from authors like Norman Finkelstein, Rashid Khalidi, and Benny Morris.
  2. The list delves into topics such as the historical roots of conflict, political dimensions, peace efforts, and the impact on Palestinian society.
  3. Authors like Avi Shlaim and Michael Oren provide insights into strategies, regional context, and key personalities during significant events like the Six-Day War.

On Divide, Conquer, and Crabs in the Bucket

Pen>Sword • 898 implied HN points • 29 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Reading the work of postcolonial intellectual giants Fanon and CĂ©saire is crucial in understanding the flaws of activists falling into the trap of undermining others in the struggle for freedom.
  2. Online activists can perpetuate a 'divide and conquer' scenario by attacking their own comrades, pushing forward the colonial objective on digital platforms.
  3. CĂ©saire's message from 'Discourse on Colonialism' emphasizes the importance of not dehumanizing the colonizer in efforts for liberation, as it plays into the colonial project and harms the movement.

Stolen Land? It’s All Stolen Land

Journal of Free Black Thought • 599 implied HN points • 25 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Colonialism
  1. The idea of 'stolen land' is complicated because many lands have changed hands throughout history. This means that almost every nation today is built on land taken by force or conquest.
  2. If we follow the logic of who owns the land based on historical claims, it leads to confusion. For example, if we give land back to the first occupants, it would mean constantly redrawing borders and moving people around.
  3. Everyone has a history that includes both good and bad actions regarding land ownership. Instead of focusing on blame, we should aim to live together peacefully and recognize each country’s right to manage its own immigration laws.

Colonization, Replaceable Man, and Love of One’s Own

The Upheaval • 1852 implied HN points • 11 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Colonialism
  1. Colonization changes how people see themselves and their culture. It often leads to a loss of national identity and local traditions.
  2. Modern society is experiencing a kind of self-colonization driven by globalization. People and cultures are treated more like replaceable cogs than unique communities.
  3. Nationalism is rising as people respond to the loss of their identity. Many are now striving to take pride in their own culture and seek to protect it.

Why did White Australia end?

Kvetch • 55 implied HN points • 17 Jan 26
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. White Australia was a foundational, widely supported policy aimed at preserving a predominantly British, racially homogeneous nation. Political leaders defended it as essential to national character and self‑preservation.
  2. The policy was dismantled gradually and somewhat muddled from the postwar period into the late 1960s, driven by decolonisation, international pressure, growing ties with Asia, and changing Western (especially American) racial norms. Reforms opened the door to more non‑European immigration even as governments insisted newcomers must assimilate and that a multiracial society was not the goal.
  3. Ending White Australia left an identity gap that successive leaders struggled to fill coherently; efforts to pivot toward Asia and promote language study didn’t produce a clear new national story, and other identity currents—like increased focus on Indigenous identity—grew to occupy that space.

Samiska aktivister försöker tvinga bort Jonny Hjelm

Rak höger med Ivar Arpi • 589 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Samiska aktivister kritiserar Umeå universitet för kursinnehållet som handlar om samer, och anser att en icke-same som Jonny Hjelm inte borde studera detta.
  2. Akademisk frihet och öppen debatt är viktiga värden på universitet enligt fördrag som Umeå universitet har skrivit under.
  3. Det finns oro kring hur aktivister och media porträtterar en kurs om samer vid Umeå universitet, och det finns frågor kring varför det inte finns offentligt stöd från institutionen eller forskarkollegor för den kursansvarige.

Let The Bodies Pile High

¡Do Not Panic! • 1022 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Throughout history, ruling classes have used pandemics to achieve their policy goals.
  2. Colonizers deliberately used smallpox as a tool of biological warfare against indigenous populations.
  3. The current ruling class continues to prioritize ideological preferences over public health and safety.

The Future of Peace (2/4)

The Joyous Struggle • 671 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. The quality of our initial perception of a problem space is crucial. Understanding peace requires moving beyond individual areas and issues to see global interconnections.
  2. Perception, 'whiteness', and denial are key areas of inquiry highlighted when reflecting on complex situations like Gaza. It's important to challenge default ways of viewing the world and moral sensibilities.
  3. The notions of racism, colonialism, and denial play significant roles in how we perceive conflicts like the one in Gaza. Troubling boundaries, acknowledging historical influence, and combating denial are vital for achieving peace.

How Palestinian History Is Systemically Forgotten (w/ Micaela Sahhar) | The Chris Hedges Report

The Chris Hedges Report • 119 implied HN points • 28 Nov 25
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. Palestinian history and memory are systematically erased, so families must reconstruct the past from fragments, photos, deeds, and ephemeral records to keep their story alive.
  2. Diaspora Palestinians carry intergenerational trauma and identity, with family stories, keys, and cultural practices acting as essential links to homeland and sources of resilience against dominant narratives.
  3. The violence of 20th-century dispossession and the ongoing assault on Gaza form a continuous pattern of erasure and suppression, making archival resistance, witness-bearing, and international solidarity vital to preserving truth.

The 'Lost Bushmen' of the Drakensberg: The Bantu, The San & The Mountain

Grey Goose Chronicles • 805 implied HN points • 09 Jun 23
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. The history of the Bushmen in the Drakensberg region is rich with tales of interaction between farmers and hunter-gatherers.
  2. The San peoples, though often seen as living relics of the stone age, have a complex and diverse genetic and cultural background.
  3. The 'Secret San' of the Drakensberg, a mix of various ethnic groups, have a unique legacy and identify as the descendants of hidden San peoples.

Whose land is it anyway?

Wrong Side of History • 451 implied HN points • 02 Jun 25
🎭️ Culture Colonialism
  1. Land ownership has a long and complex history, often involving conquest and struggle, rather than peace and cooperation. Many cultures have displaced others throughout history to take control of land.
  2. Modern discussions around land acknowledgments often focus on recognizing the historical injustices faced by indigenous peoples. These acknowledgments serve as reminders of the painful past and promote the need for reconciliation.
  3. There's a unique sense of guilt in some European settler nations about their history with indigenous peoples, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. This guilt, however, also highlights a desire for understanding and healing in the present.

Sorry, Elon: Henry Ford Started a Colony First

Life Since the Baby Boom • 1152 implied HN points • 10 Nov 24
đź’ľ History Colonialism
  1. Henry Ford tried to create a city called Fordlandia in the Amazon rainforest to produce rubber. He faced many challenges because the environment was very different from what he knew.
  2. The project suffered from poor living conditions, high worker turnover, and management problems, leading to riots and disease among workers. It was hard to get people to stay and work.
  3. Ultimately, the project failed to produce rubber as intended and Ford lost a lot of money. It shows how difficult it is to impose a new way of life in an unfamiliar place.

Poverty is growing in Puerto Rico, under US colonialism: 57.6% of children live in poor households

Geopolitical Economy Report • 598 implied HN points • 28 Sep 23
🌍 World Politics Colonialism
  1. Poverty in Puerto Rico is on the rise, with over two-fifths of the population and nearly three-fifths of children living in poor households.
  2. Despite more people being employed, poverty continues to worsen in Puerto Rico.
  3. The US colonial status of Puerto Rico has contributed to its extremely high poverty rates and income disparities compared to the rest of the United States.

Decolonising Edinburgh

Heterodox STEM • 256 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Colonialism
  1. The University of Edinburgh's report found that its professors and alumni significantly contributed to racial pseudo-sciences that created harmful racial hierarchies. This shows a troubling part of the university's history.
  2. Activists at the university are pushing for changes, like creating new centers and hiring policies to address issues of racism and promote inclusivity. However, some people think these changes may not effectively solve the underlying issues.
  3. There's a lack of engagement from the university community regarding the report, with a very low response rate to surveys. This suggests that many might not agree with or support the proposed changes.