2026-07-05T06:45:31Z

It is just morning, but I am sure this will be the weirdest things I read today: Some Spanish and Portuguese people claiming they never had colonies. They must be trolling, right?

When the whole world (well, the "newly discovered" bits) literally was divided into Spanish and Portuguese halves

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas

My country (Portugal) was colonized by the Celts, then Phoenitians, then Greeks, then Carthaginians, then Romans, then Suevi, then Alanos, then Visigoths (these last called the Barbarians for some reason), then North Africans. My country began as a freedom fight against an African Empire (Almoravids, present day Morocco). The language (90% Latin + 10% Arabic) was imposed on us. The religion (Roman Catholic) was imposed on us. In the balance of invading/beeing invaded | think we still have some credit.

Spain did not have colonies.. Spain built a continent.. and were part of the territory the Spanish Empire .. they were viceroys .. and colonies and viceroys are two different things

2026-07-05T07:07:44Z

Aleksi Stenberg@saruwine@mementomori.social

Replying to @tml@mementomori.social

@tml Claiming that Portugal was “colonized” by the Celts or the Visigoths etc. is also using the term rather creatively. 🤪

(Hello from the erstwhile Free Socialist City of Tampere, colonized by the Finns in 1918.)

Jul 5, 2026, 07:07 UTCen

2026-07-05T07:52:13Z

Kalle Kniivilä@kallekn@mastodonsweden.se

Replying to @saruwine@mementomori.social

@saruwine @tml It's word magic. Just use a different word, and a colony is no longer a colony. Very handy, works for a lot of stuff, Trump and Putin do it all the time.