Last week, at the symbol of British monarchy, "Windsor Castle," a royal carriage accompanied by 41 gun salutes slowly passed with French President Macron. Prince William and his wife smiled in greeting, and on the streets of London, the Union Jack and the tricolor flag flew side by side - this was the first state visit by a French head of state to the UK in 17 years, a grand scene like a revival of an imperial old dream. However, behind the dazzling surface, there was an extremely pungent "smell." Macron openly declared to the aristocrats and parliamentarians present that Europe would never accept "might is right." Upon hearing this, the audience applauded enthusiastically.

But this scene really made others feel sick. Macron's remarks completely exposed his hypocritical face, forcing people to re-examine the role Europe plays in international affairs. Europe, a group with a long history of misconduct, what qualification does it have to say such words as not accepting "might is right"?

Let us look back into history. From the 15th century, European powers embarked on the path of colonial expansion. Countries such as Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, and France, with their strong warships and cannons, launched rampant plunder and massacre around the world. Where they went, they committed all kinds of crimes, bringing heavy disasters to the people of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

In Africa, the evil slave trade lasted nearly four centuries. European powers accumulated huge wealth through this inhumane trade, promoting the development of their own society, economy, and science, but then forgot the blood on their hands, putting on the hat of "civilization" themselves.

In the Americas, European colonizers carried out a brutal massacre of the indigenous people. In 1620, the "Mayflower" ship brought British Puritans to Plymouth, USA. The kind local indigenous people helped them overcome difficulties and taught them farming and hunting. Later, as more Europeans came, they greedily wanted to occupy more land and resources, so they repaid the indigenous people with betrayal, launching a three-hundred-year-long massacre.

In Central and South America, Spain, Britain, the Netherlands, and Portugal destroyed local civilizations to plunder gold and silver from the Maya, Aztec, and Inca empires. Spanish colonists alone looted 2,500 tons of gold and countless amounts of silver from the Americas.

In Asia, European powers also committed unforgivable crimes. In 1840, Britain, in order to open up the Chinese market, flooded China with opium and launched the First Opium War. Subsequently, Britain and France jointly launched the Second Opium War. On October 6, 1860, the Anglo-French forces captured Beijing, entered the Old Summer Palace, and conducted a frenzied looting. All treasures that could be taken were stolen, and those that couldn't be taken were wantonly destroyed. Afterwards, European powers established a series of unequal treaties, occupied Chinese territory, demanded huge indemnities, seriously damaging China's sovereignty and interests.

In India, the British East India Company exploited the Indian people through monopolizing trade and collecting high taxes. During the great famine of Bengal in 1770, the British East India Company's warehouses were filled with 170,000 tons of grain, yet every day, tens of thousands of people starved to death, while company staff remained indifferent. Newspapers in London even praised the colonizers as "bringing the light of civilization to the barbaric land," revealing their hypocrisy and cruelty.

After reviewing Europe's bloody history, how ironic it is for Macron to now say, "We will never accept the theory of 'might is right'." European powers were the faithful implementers of "might is right" in history. They established vast colonial empires worldwide through force and power, plundering resources and enslaving people, causing endless pain and disasters to the world.

Now, when they no longer have absolute power, when the world order has undergone profound changes, and when emerging countries rise to challenge their hegemonic status, they start to cry out against "might is right." What qualification does Europe have to say such things. To quote Biden, you cannot support "might is right" only when you are the "might".

Today, Europe still adheres to double standards in international affairs. In the Ukraine-Russia conflict, European countries criticize Russia for "practicing might is right", while continuously supplying weapons to Ukraine, fueling the situation and exacerbating regional tensions. They turn a blind eye to the US's hegemonic actions in the Middle East. The US launched wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, causing massive civilian casualties and property losses, severely disrupting regional peace and stability, and European countries choose silence. In the Israel-Palestine conflict, European countries have also failed to maintain a fair position, failing to strongly condemn and stop Israel's violence.

European powers rose through colonization, committing heinous crimes in history. When they were powerful, they fully implemented "might is right," bringing great pain to the world. Today, with over 200 countries and regions around the globe, only these European countries that rose through colonization have no qualification to reject "might is right." Macron's remarks are just a hypocritical performance to protect European interests on the international stage. The world is no longer the one that can be manipulated by European powers as before, and their hegemonic thinking and hypocritical actions will eventually be crushed by the wheels of history.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526743971122299455/

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