Historian Rafe Heydel-Mankoo said to Sky News Australia that Britain, Australia, and the wider West should stop apologizing for their history [1].
This call to action reflects a growing debate over how Western nations address their colonial pasts and the impact of historical guilt on current cultural stability.
Speaking with host Peta Credlin, Heydel-Mankoo said that Western societies have succumbed to a cycle of national self-loathing [1, 2]. He said that the path to restoring confidence and cultural strength requires a fundamental shift in how these nations perceive their own identities.
"Britain, Australia, the West, we were at our strongest when we knew who we were," Heydel-Mankoo said [1].
He said that the current tendency to apologize for historical actions has weakened the resolve of these nations. According to Heydel-Mankoo, the West was most effective and resilient when it possessed a clear sense of self and purpose [1, 2]. He said a return to this mindset is necessary to ensure future stability.
"We must once again turn national self-loathing into love of nation," Heydel-Mankoo said [1].
The historian said that asserting a national culture is not an act of aggression but a necessity for internal health. He encouraged citizens of these countries to embrace their heritage without shame, a move he believes will foster a more confident society.
"Be strong, be confident, assert your own national culture, and your national identity," Heydel-Mankoo said [1].
His remarks come amid a broader global discourse regarding the tension between acknowledging historical wrongs and maintaining a cohesive national narrative [2].
“"Britain, Australia, the West, we were at our strongest when we knew who we were."”
This perspective aligns with a traditionalist view of nationalism, suggesting that cultural cohesion and psychological confidence are prerequisites for geopolitical strength. By framing historical apology as 'self-loathing,' Heydel-Mankoo argues that the intellectual trend of critical history has transitioned from a tool for learning into a liability that undermines the social fabric of Western states.
