Goody, humans. Welcome to the safe space for dangerous ideas. Here's a doozy for you. An idea so

dangerous, others dare not touch it. It's that the British Empire was on the whole a good thing,

and colonialism is okay. What? What? How dare you even suggest such a thing? I don't know if I agree with this. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I don't, but it's worth wrestling with why I don't. And there's no one better to do that with than the man who is perhaps Britain's foremost exponent of what supposedly being an apologist for colonialism. I ask him about that,

and you can hear his response about whether or not he characterizes himself that way.

Nigel Bigger is a professor at the University of Oxford, that little place.

I don't know if you've heard of it. It's quite old. It's terribly nice.

And he led an interdisciplinary project, a five-year project starting in 2017,

to, quote, test the ethical critiques of empire against the historical facts of empire.

And talk about writing books that kick the Hornets Nest. I mean, his book is called

colonialism, A Moral Reckoning. He has another book called What's Wrong with Rights? You know,

rights, those pesky little things. And another book called In Defense of War. I mean,

if you thought Josh Zepts liked kicking Hornets' nests,

why do you get a load of Nigel Bigger?

Uh, so big questions of race, colonialism, power,

empire, indigenous rights,

and all the rest, please enjoy.

And one and only, Professor Nigel Bigger.

Music I love to talk to you.

Thank you for being here.

I've heard you described as an apologist for colonialism,

which to some people's ears sounds a bit like being a cheerleader for rape or something.

Is that what you are?

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