Actually, the colonial records of those nations, like Britain, which were somewhat democratic is pretty good, with a net gain in investment and infrastructure to the countries they ruled. But the deeper problem is that you are judging the historical behavior of semi- democratic states, at best. Even in the United States, we have a problem in determining when liberal democracy moved from aspiration to reality. After the elimination of slavery? After universal manhood suffrage? After female suffrage? From my perspective, democracy barely existed in most advanced countries until after World War II, although it had planted saplings here and there.
Similarly with capitalism. Historically, much of the modern era has been "protocapitalist", still in the process of adapting to free markets in capital and trade. Mercantilism was still the dominant system of empire, for example, not capitalism.
In any event, I do not see how one can be oppressive at home and uphold the dignity of man, so let us take first things first. |
