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Colonization facilitated the expansion of Western civilization globally and, as such, there's a strong argument that it was a positive force. This is notwithsta

Colonization facilitated the expansion of Western civilization globally and, as such, there's a strong argument that it was a positive force. This is notwithstanding the fact that it was imperfect and involved certain mistakes like the one you allude to.

defrost 3y ago
Correlation, famously, is not causation. The heart of Western 'civilisation' was once Dickensian era England which suffered poor literacy, poor child mortality rates, etc. Despite not being colonised, these things changed. Again, the statistics you've linked do not demonstrate colonisation == good. Indeed the bulk of the benefits kick in post war - the period associated with the death of colonial empires. Perhaps you've provided grist to the argument that colonial governments should be removed.
- ETH_start 3y ago
  Colonization spread the ruleset of Dickensian era England all over the world, especially in the Americas where it led to the emergence of the largest and more technologically advanced society in history: the USA. >Indeed the bulk of the benefits kick in post war - the period associated with the death of colonial empires. The post-war period replaced colonial empires underpinned by direct foreign rule with a different kind of foreign influence that is arguably better: Pax Americana which exerted US influence through US-led institutions that provide coordination amongst states, foreign aid and military protection. But you make a valid point that this period saw colonial rule dissipitate, and that correlated with significant improvement. There are so many data points to consider that any theory is mere speculation, including mine. Hard to know what an alternate history where the European powers refrained from engaging in colonialism would have led to, aside from cases like colonial America, where English settlement clearly produced massive gains for the world. I will say however that Western values have convincingly shown themselves to be beneficial to the world, and that the anti-colonialist mission to expel them from modern society and academic disciplines is therefore reckless and misguided.

defrost 3y ago

Correlation, famously, is not causation. The heart of Western 'civilisation' was once Dickensian era England which suffered poor literacy, poor child mortality rates, etc. Despite not being colonised, these things changed. Again, the statistics you've linked do not demonstrate colonisation == good. Indeed the bulk of the benefits kick in post war - the period associated with the death of colonial empires. Perhaps you've provided grist to the argument that colonial governments should be removed.

ETH_start 3y ago
Colonization spread the ruleset of Dickensian era England all over the world, especially in the Americas where it led to the emergence of the largest and more technologically advanced society in history: the USA. >Indeed the bulk of the benefits kick in post war - the period associated with the death of colonial empires. The post-war period replaced colonial empires underpinned by direct foreign rule with a different kind of foreign influence that is arguably better: Pax Americana which exerted US influence through US-led institutions that provide coordination amongst states, foreign aid and military protection. But you make a valid point that this period saw colonial rule dissipitate, and that correlated with significant improvement. There are so many data points to consider that any theory is mere speculation, including mine. Hard to know what an alternate history where the European powers refrained from engaging in colonialism would have led to, aside from cases like colonial America, where English settlement clearly produced massive gains for the world. I will say however that Western values have convincingly shown themselves to be beneficial to the world, and that the anti-colonialist mission to expel them from modern society and academic disciplines is therefore reckless and misguided.