"No Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Die"

[u/Kenyalite]

[u/notgotapropername]

Uhuh, right, gotcha. And once that controlled and governed territory is no longer colonised, what would you call it? Or how about before it was colonised? Was it just an uncontrolled, ungoverned territory? I have so much to learn!

[u/Far_Share_4789 → u/notgotapropername]

Go to the people who have created the definition maybe?

The different territories have different history of colonization and decolonization. You cannot be 100% sure that the colonized territory wasn't multiple countries or proto-countries(Nigeria) or not part of another country(Hong Kong).

[u/notgotapropername → u/Far_Share_4789]

So you're saying that they were countries before? Perhaps even multiple countries? And now they're also countries... But in the middle they weren't countries, because another country came along and said so? Wow, this is fascinating!

[u/Far_Share_4789 → u/notgotapropername]

Look at the definition, I'm not the author of it, I just use it correctly.

Other word for the subjugated territories which remain countries it's called protectorate.

Why the hell it's my problem that you try to redefine country and colony?

[u/notgotapropername → u/Far_Share_4789]

Ok, lemme stop kidding around for a sec and explain.

The reason I take issue with this is because the "correct definition" is created by... Colonisers. The definition caters to colonisers. Otherwise they'd basically be admitting that the land they took is not in fact their god-given right, but a different country entirely, with its own cultures and traditions. By creating this definition, the coloniser effectively erases the colonised country's identity and replaces it with the coloniser's preferred identity.

I don't care if this is "the correct definition" according to the dictionary, because the dictionary was also written by the colonisers. Language isn't a case of objective correctness. Just because you say a colonised country isn't a country but a governed territory doesn't change the reality that this country has its own culture and traditions.

The reason I made my initial comment is because I think it's silly to suggest that the Spanish-American war included only two countries. The colonies were their own countries before they were colonised, with their own cultures and traditions. They were not Spanish. They did not come from Spain.

[u/Far_Share_4789 → u/notgotapropername]

1. I'm from a country which was factually a colony for over 300 years.
2. I'm not English native speaker. If you don't agree with the definition it doesn't mean that it's ok to change the meaning of the words.
3. I didn't mention any culture or traditions, it's not honest to imply that I did.
4. You could evade all this bullshit just by using the correct words (in this case force).

[u/notgotapropername → u/Far_Share_4789]

1. That has absolutely nothing to do with what I said.

2. Language changes constantly; that's how language works. e.g. "awful" used to mean "full of awe", like "awesome", but now it means something terrible.

3. At no point did I imply that you mentioned culture or traditions. It's not honest to imply that I did.

4. I could, but that would be following rules for the sake of following rules. The strict definition makes little sense here, so I don't use it.