Colonial Irony: the case of Mali

Western media always ALWAYS claim that the natives warmly welcome the Western invaders but the invaders always leave humiliatingly after being chased out by armed natives.  Here is the NYT on the French invaders in Mali:  "“I want to thank the French people,” said Mamadou Traoré, a Diabaly resident. He said French airstrikes had chased away the militants without harming any civilians, a claim echoed by other residents."  And do you notice that Western media talk about being invited by the "Mali government" (just as the Soviets invaded Afghanistan after being invited by Babrak Karmal) as if the coup leaders were democratically elected.