Exploration of Themes: Colonization: Imperialism or ... not

Introduction

The main story, as I see it, has three particularly strong themes that run through the entire narrative. 
The first is Colonization vs. Colonialism and how to treat (as a story) the Andromeda Initiative (AI).
The second is AI (Artificial Intelligence) vs IA (Intelligence Augmentation). 
The last is the Dark Energy theme. 

I first want to touch upon the Colonization problem, the one which I am least qualified to discuss, yet found few discussions directly taking this matter up. 

There are a lot of complaints about some particulars of the story, especially involving the Arks, the Angara, and the Kett. While I may not be the most competent to do so, I do want to delve into the themes that Bioware had dangerously driven themselves into, and to my surprise, tackled it with sincerity and consideration. 

1. Background

By the end of the Mass Effect trilogy, the writers had ran the future of the Milky way into the ground. By creating an awesome saga of death and rebirth of civilizations and the contention between the creation and the creator, they have ultimately milked the Milky way dry of story potentials. There was no way forward, and (as they have sorely felt the lashes) there was no simple way to resolve "Choice" upon the fate of the Galaxy. 
Wisely, they have opted to settle for Choice as small decisions that make only small variations, a la Dragon age Inquisition which had pleased many fans, rather than set up large decisions with smaller variations (the ending of ME3). 
However, the problem remained that they could not remain within the Milky way. To do so would have to make a selection of 'canon' outcome which would anger many fans, or make everything that happened in ME trilogy as irreverent, which would be foolish. 
Thus they inevitably set for a future where they could have a clean slate. Explore another Galaxy. Settle it. 
What great promise. 

Except for the fact that they would ultimately have to solve the thematic problem of "Colonization".

2. The Problem of Colonization

Colonization is a touchy subject. It involves an alien peoples en masse migration to a "new world" where previous locals have already been present. 
Of course, the first thing that spring to mind is the Native Americans, the Aborigines, and the Pacific Islanders. We all know how that turned out. 

After the bout of European "New World Order" of the 1500s, the momentum of growth churned the machines of progress towards Imperialism. Thus East Asia, Indian subcontinent, Indochine, Subsaharan Africa and the Middle East entered the twentieth century screaming in pain. 

Human history has shown that it is nigh impossible to tackle colonization "Nicely". It doesn't suffice to imagine that "My Columbus" would be friendly to the natives, and not genocide the Hondurans, and possibly romance a hunky Honduras person named Jaal. It has to delve into issues that are essential: Can we really share? 


3. The Work around

ME: Andromeda escapes immediately tackling the reality of Colonization in these workarounds. 

1) The Kett


Immediately out of the gate MEA sidesteps the notion that we might want to just conquer the Angara, make them toil in gold mines, give them venereal diseases etc. by introducing the "Big Bad".

The Kett is such a staple of Imperialism that it is hard to miss.

a) They have a rigid theocracy build upon assimilation: Cardinal, Archon, Chosen. These are religious terms. They embrace the Other not by bending their own form to fit each other, but by forcing the Other to become Them. They incorporate the Unenlightened to become Enlightened. Not unlike the Conquistadors force feeding Christianity. 

They are... well... and Empire: It has been made clear that the Archon is leadin an expeditionary Force from the Kett Empire. Whether they are from the rest of Andromeda, I'm not sure. But the map of the Helius Cluster is only the foothold of Andromeda Proper, and the Kett are from outside Helius, yet not as far from away as like the AI. And they are an expeditionary force. Aimed at assimilating the locales, quite literally by physically doing so via the genes. (As someone who does tackle genetics I don't think this is a good idea. but anyway...) 

So we are immediately given "Imperialism Bad". And we are asked throughout the story, how would we be different than the Kett.

2) The AI is helpless as F.

Four Arks. And only one makes it close to plan to the Nexus. None of the golden worlds work out. At best you have only one of the original pathfinders alive at the end, and even that is up for grabs. 
Large factions of the AI has splintered off to wage war, do as they please, or just become separate of the collective effort. Not just Morda and her Korgan. Not just Sloan Kelly or the Chalratan. On Eos, the independent nation called the "Advent" wants to strike out on its own, possibly risking conflict with the Environment for their own survival. Independent Refugees of Outcasts of Exiles etc try to survive on their own on Kadara. You are not the Sole Pathfinder, and while the other pathfinders have been quiet, I am sure that there is enough tension in the future for even the Nexus to splinter off revisiting their own racial conflicts of the past, bringing Pathfinder vs. Pathfinder. 

So Immediately, we are not given the luxury of telling the Natives that they should open up or be fired upon. 
We are Orphans in Andromeda. We can only survive together, and the fact that we should survive together with the Angara (whether uncomfortably or cooperatively) is not in question. Ever.

3) The Moshae and the Mighty Angara

I've raised this question elsewhere, so I will make this brief. 

The Moshae is not your mom. 

She does not love you. At best she will cooperate with you in a friendly manner. She has ulterior motives for her own political advancement. She has political enemies, and some who have even acted upon it to betray her to the Archon. 
I was surprised at how well the Moshae was written. She is not someone with answers, but in a measured sense, she has more answers than Tann, Crazy-eyes Addison, Morda, Kelly or, of course, Ryder. She is a cross between Admiral Shala'Raan and Vivienne, played by the voice actress of Vivienne, and most closely resembling the Character on the Expanse played by the voice actor of Shala'Raan. 

This makes us know that the Angara are Native Americans, if Native Americans were united, armed with muskets and created by ancient civilizations that ruled the world from steam powered dirigibles five thousand years ago, lead by Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala.

4) We don't take your lands; we make our own

Finally, MEA escapes the central questions of Colonialism and colonization through the remnant. 
MEA does not only explore and settle, but actually CREATES the places to settle. It would be as though Columbus would come over, wave at Honduras and raise an island from the Bermudas to settle. We aren't taking what's yours, we're making our own.
Of course the Angara have small settlements on Kadara, Voehld and a larger one on Havarl. But Havarl is distinctly stated to be a co-opt, while Kadara and Voehld are so inhospitable that a major plus is noted for pitching in to help. 

4. Conclusion

There are visible cues that Mass Effect Andromeda notices their predicaments and works around the issue of Colonization vs. Imperialism. Whether some of these are just an easy way out, or whether others are directly facing these matters and addressing them, is yet to be seen. 
But for all, at the end, I think they did a rather thoughtful job.