Queen Elizabeth’s media coverage has been obscene. Ali Velshi did what most real journalists should have done, use the moment.

Ali Velshi schools British historian.

It was refreshing watching Ali Velshi first tell the truth about the Royal family’s complicity in the savagery and thievery of colonialism. He then challenged a British historian after he attempted to whitewash the truth. Too few journalists are doing this. Cable and broadcast media are presenting such false views of the monarchy that it is embarrassing for those who know the truth.

Ali Velshi was tempered. He gave the queen kudos I think was unnecessary. After all, the semblance of goodness is easy to simulate. I do not believe she once apologized for the horrors her family imposed worldwide. Wouldn’t a leader who wanted to atone do that?

“Queen Elizabeth was an even-tempered monarch who was never quick to react or show her emotions or reveal much about her private life,” said Velshi. In that way, she endeared herself to the public, and her popularity is unmatched by any other member of the royal family. Though for that same reason, her popularity and the institution she represented took a major hit after the death of Diana, who was pretty much the opposite of the stoic, reserved queen.”

Velshi then went into the unfortunate but necessary-to-reveal truth.

“A beloved as Elizabeth was,” Velshi continued. “She also represented an institution that had a long and ugly history of brutal colonialism, violent theft, and slavery. For many centuries, the British robbed other nations of their wealth and power and exploited their people. Even as Queen Elizabeth’s reign largely marked the beginning of the post-colonial era, the horrors that her long line of ancestors inflicted upon many generations of people across the globe continue to be the source of pain.”

That is a truth that one cannot deny. But British historian Andrew Roberts took exception to Ali Velshi’s characterization. He should be ashamed that he used whataboutism for statements of fact. He implied that colonialism was not bad, given that colonizers were supporting the monarchy as part of the Commonwealth or sending their messages of support for the King and condolences for the queen’s death.

Both Roberts and Velshi ended with an exchange that highlighted the perspective and morals of each one of them.

“Even evil monsters like Putin are writing to King Charles and saying what a great thing his mother’s ruling was,” the historian said. “Your opening intro, you had her talk about the great imperial family, to which we all belong. The idea that that is in some way an attack on our past is absurd.”

Velshi came back with yet another inconvenient truth. That the historian used Putin in his defense says much.

“Well, it’s nice to be able to whitewash that sort of thing, Andrew,” Velshi said. “I’m glad that you closed up with the idea that even Vladimir Putin had nice things to say about the Queen.”

Enough said.