- 04 Nov 2006 00:11
#1025133
A friend and I had an interesting debate last week about whether countries should give support to ex-colonies who are now in a terrible state (hunger, AIDS, etcetera). My friend thought we should, but I said we shouldn't. One of the reasons for me to say that was because I don't really believe those countries got in such a terrible state because of us while my friend believe colonialism had a majorly negative impact on those countries.
Of course, I'm not questioning whether colonialism, this form of exploitation, because I think it was exploitation, was a bad thing. But for instance, I've read that England had done some good things to India to improve civilization over there. Of course there was the oppression which was bluntly put, shameless. But then, in the end, can we say that India's poverty today has anything to do with colonialism happened back then?
From everything I've looked up I've found only assumptions that colonialism did have a lasting negative impact on these ex-colonies, but there doesn't seem to be anyone out there suggesting those countries were to be poor either way. That's why I came to PoFo for this perhaps touchy subject.
But you can see the problem here. So the main question is:
Is there any evidence colonialism had a lasting negative impact on the countries they've colonized in the past?
Of course, I'm not questioning whether colonialism, this form of exploitation, because I think it was exploitation, was a bad thing. But for instance, I've read that England had done some good things to India to improve civilization over there. Of course there was the oppression which was bluntly put, shameless. But then, in the end, can we say that India's poverty today has anything to do with colonialism happened back then?
From everything I've looked up I've found only assumptions that colonialism did have a lasting negative impact on these ex-colonies, but there doesn't seem to be anyone out there suggesting those countries were to be poor either way. That's why I came to PoFo for this perhaps touchy subject.
But you can see the problem here. So the main question is:
Is there any evidence colonialism had a lasting negative impact on the countries they've colonized in the past?
“When man meets an obstacle he can't destroy, he destroys himself.”
Ryszard Kapuscinski
Ryszard Kapuscinski