Behind the Bastards

Part One: How the British Empire and U.S. Department of Defense Murdered an Island Paradise

Jun 18, 2024

01:03:10

Snipd AI

Historian and podcaster Andrew Ti discusses the dark history of the Chagos Islands, exposing the British Empire and U.S. Department of Defense's exploitation for military purposes. The podcast unveils the colonial devastation, strategic importance, and sinister motives behind the actions that wiped out an island paradise founded by former slaves.

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Quick takeaways

Chagos Islands began as a utopian paradise founded by former slaves, living a cheerful, well-fed, and isolated life.

Post-war modernization and external interests exposed the Chagosians to the outside world, leading to departures and changing dynamics.

The forceful removal of Chagos Islanders by British and US authorities disregarded their indigenous status and well-documented history.

Deep dives

Development of the Chagos Islands

Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean started as a paradise with a small population that lived a utopian life post-slavery. The inhabitants were cheerful, well-fed, and isolated, engaging in unique cultural practices. Despite colonial rule, life on the islands was described as pleasant and matriarchal, with the people owning their homes. The population grew to over a thousand, and uniquely developed their language and musical traditions.

Intro

2min

Exploring AI Chatbots and a Proposed Global Greeting

2min

Colonial Destruction of Paradise

4min

US Military Bases and Imperialism

9min

French Settlement, Slavery, and Military Strategy in Mauritius and the Chagos Islands

4min

History of Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands

12min

Island Life in Chagos

9min

Strategic Island Concept for Military Bases

7min

Strategic Importance and Sinister Motives

5min

10.

British Empire's Controversial Actions in Chagos

17min

11.

Exploring a Tragic History with References to Racism and a Variety of Sponsors

4min

Robert welcomes Andrew Ti back to the show to tell the story of the Chagos Islands, a paradise founded by former slaves that was wiped out by the British empire so they could lease it to the U.S. as an air base.

(2 Part Series)

Behind the Bastards is doing it's annual fundraiser for the Portland Diaper Bank! We had a soft start a week or so ago but will actually be plugging it this week and next. Please help if you can!

https://www.gofundme.com/f/btb-fundraiser-pdx-diaper-bank?attribution_id=sl:a1a2d058-9511-435e-ab61-93bc1252ffa5&utm_campaign=pd_ss_icons&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=twitter

Sources:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2023/02/15/thats-when-nightmare-started/uk-and-us-forced-displacement-chagossians-and

https://archive.is/KvGqw#selection-1769.0-1781.535

Vine, David. Island of Shame: The Secret History of the U.S. Military Base on Diego Garcia (p. 18). Princeton University Press. Kindle Edition.

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/2/25/how-britain-forcefully-depopulated-a-whole-archipelago/

https://archive.org/details/webofdeceitbrita0000curt/page/432/mode/2up?q=chagos

https://journals.openedition.org/oceanindien/2003

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