Britain Returns Looted Goods, Calls it 'Cultural Exchange'
The BBC announces triumphantly that Ghana's Asante king welcomes the 'return' of artifacts from the UK and South Africa, including items 'looted by British colonial soldiers.' Oh, 'looted'? That's a rather polite term for the British burning Kumasi to the ground during the 1874 Anglo-Ashanti War, specifically targeting royal regalia and gold for their war chest. One might almost forget these
weren't simply 'lost then found' items, but rather the spoils of an imperial invasion. This 'return' of a mere 32 items, 150 years later, is not a grand gesture but a drip-feed from institutions like the British Museum, whose collection remains engorged with countless other plundered treasures. While the BBC frames it as a benevolent act, the reality is these artifacts were never 'theirs' to
return. It's less a gift, more a long-overdue admission of high-value theft, rebranded as 'long-term loans.' (Loans? Of your OWN cultural heritage? One wonders if they'll send a bill for storage.)