>That's why it's hard to judge past personalities with our modern standards This couldn't be more naive, you understand that these are not some default cultura

>That's why it's hard to judge past personalities with our modern standards This couldn't be more naive, you understand that these are not some default cultural norm of the time, shared by all, and we today are simply more empathetic and enlightened than them with each passing decade? These attitudes are a direct reflection of the political sphere and centers of power in which those originating these ideas are embedded within. People knew racism and colonialism was wrong during WW2. They knew it long before then. You can take any time and place in history, and if you look you will find someone opposed to colonialism, exploitation, and prejudice, for as long as those concepts have existed. Just maybe not in the military leadership, or political class, since their positions in society constrain the range of beliefs they would've held in order to enter such positions in the first place.