Marlow delivers merely a prelude to his story. He projects his own experience as a “colonist” back in time when the Romans hardly applied the “efficiency” of an administration, but used only “brute force.”
Yet the essential remains the same. Whether it’s the Romans spilling blood in Gaul for the booty, or the Europeans massacring the American Indians while snatching up an entire continent, or the Europeans shipping off to Africa for the ivory, the slave labor, and whatever other natural resources they could cart off for profits.
”The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea—something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to..."
The Romans were skilled in “setting up” an idea that justified going to war, to conquer and pillage another territory, preferably one of weaker defenses. The Romans called it a casus belli, a reason for war.
The Europeans and the Americans learned this skill of spinning up an idea to invade and occupy a territory for whatever benefits. People in the highly industrialized world have always, throughout history, shown great creativity in conjuring up a pretty idea, a noble cause that enabled the business of exploiting some weaker territory for its wealth. “Not a sentimental pretence, but an idea.”
Well, maybe a sentimental pretence too. Marlow jabs at the ribs of his shipmates here as he describes the rhetorical devices used throughout history to justify the means by which large businesses obtain the profitable ends from a good ol' imperial invasion and conquest.
An Idea--casus belli--To Bow Down To
In the case of Europeans exploiting Africa, there were many ideas they “set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to…”
Marlow begins his story about his travel into the Congo on business to replace another station manager for the Company. He characterizes this job ironically as “a heavenly mission to civilize you.”
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