Colonialism

The justification for colonialism to many is the obligation that superior states, such as the United States and Britain, should help humans living in inadequate positions.  Yes I agree that this is a justification and through this process the areas that are colonized by superior states may be more likely to become peaceful and prosper. The colonialization of some undeveloped nations could reduce ancient acts such as tribalism, cannibalism, female bondage, and illiteracy.  This being said, I also believe that larger countries may justify their actions by stating that colonization is their moral duty to "help" these countries, when in reality colinazation may be for the superior country's profit or benefit. In many cases superior countries exploit the resources found during colonization, these resources consist of: gold, silver, silk, spices, slaves, etc. Although colonialism may increase the standards of living in certain areas by incorporating democracy, capitalism, liberalizing education, enhancing medical technology, and creating a free market, many other areas of the world may not be receptive to these ideas. As demonstrated in class, when a westerner came into an undeveloped country and tried to introduce modern medicine that would help those suffering from health problems, some welcomed the idea while others, no matter how much they were coerced, would not take the modern medicine. These people were content living in their current conditions. Therefore, I do not believe that a global community with one set of living standards could be reached in reality. This idea sounds great in theory, but there are too many varieties of cultures and ethnicities to come to an agreement or follow one such as this.