Three years ago, the acting vice-chancellor of Cambridge University, Anthony Freeling, made a confession, widely reported in the British press. He confessed that he was baffled by “decolonization.” The word, he said, “has been misused to such an extent that I don’t think, if I’m honest, I can give an accurate definition.”
I sympathize — as, I strongly suspect, do millions of others. That’s because “decolonization” can mean a variety of different things, some of which make good sense, but others, very bad sense indeed. And the bad ones have smuggled themselves into schools and university departments under cover of the good.
