Where have I heard this before?

What has Monty Pythons “Life of Brian” from 1979 and South Africa in 2008 have in common?  Well?

I found this really interesting scene from the movie that I think is really relevant to the debate in Africa generally regarding the contribution that the dreaded “colonists” made (or did not make) to this continent.

Enjoy.

REG:

They’ve bled us white, the bastards. They’ve taken everything we had, and not just from us, from our fathers, and from our fathers’ fathers.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers’ fathers’ fathers.

REG:

Yeah.

LORETTA:

And from our fathers’ fathers’ fathers’ fathers.

REG:

Yeah. All right, Stan. Don’t labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return?!

XERXES:

The aqueduct?

REG:

What?

XERXES:

The aqueduct.

REG:

Oh. Yeah, yeah. They did give us that. Uh, that’s true. Yeah.

COMMANDO #3:

And the sanitation.

LORETTA:

Oh, yeah, the sanitation, Reg. Remember what the city used to be like?

REG:

Yeah. All right. I’ll grant you the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done.

MATTHIAS:

And the roads.

REG:

Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don’t they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads–

COMMANDO:

Irrigation.

XERXES:

Medicine.

COMMANDOS:

Huh? Heh? Huh…

COMMANDO #2:

Education.

COMMANDOS:

Ohh…

REG:

Yeah, yeah. All right. Fair enough.

COMMANDO #1:

And the wine.

COMMANDOS:

Oh, yes. Yeah…

FRANCIS:

Yeah. Yeah, that’s something we’d really miss, Reg, if the Romans left. Huh.

COMMANDO:

Public baths.

LORETTA:

And it’s safe to walk in the streets at night now, Reg.

FRANCIS:

Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let’s face it. They’re the only ones who could in a place like this.

COMMANDOS:

Hehh, heh. Heh heh heh heh heh heh heh.

REG:

All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?

XERXES:

Brought peace.

REG:

Oh. Peace? Shut up!

Well? Scary hey?