By Dr. Halim Gençoğlu This article evaluates the claims allegedly expressed by some Western, particularly American, academics and commentators at the International Munich Peace Conference dated February 2026—such as “colonialism was normal back then, we are not ashamed of our past”—within the framework of the historical, ethical, and epistemic dimensions of the decolonization process. In this vein, through concrete cases ...
“The great Western empires had entered a terminal decline, accelerated by godless communist revolutions and anti-colonial uprisings that would transform the world.” With these words, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sparked one of the biggest controversies at this year’s Munich Security Conference. Rubio’s reference to anti-colonial movements—historically viewed as struggles for liberation—was interpreted by critics as a way of ...