In "Shooting an Elephant", what is Orwell’s message about political power and the nature of abusive governments?

One of Orwell's purposes in this essay is to show the cultural dilemma posed by colonialism ( or imperialism, as Orwell puts it). In the essay, Orwell finds himself being the enemy within another culture. The paradox is that Orwell sympathizes with the Burmese people and their desire to overthrow their British oppressors and yet he also hates the people who criticize and abuse him. He has mixed feelings about colonialism and its abuse of power and yet he follows the rules and does what he is supposed to do. Thus, his message is that colonialism is inherently contradictory--just as contradictory as his encounter with the elephant.