In the wake of the recent attacks on innocent Israeli civilians by Hamas, radical leftist groups have clamored at the opportunity to support the terrorist act. Black Lives Matter Grassroots, an organization not affiliated with the BLM national organization, put out a statement saying, “Black Lives Matter Grassroots stands in solidarity with our Palestinian family, who are currently resisting 57 years of settler colonialism and apartheid." The Democratic Socialists of America of Long Beach echoed a similar statement, affirming they “fully supports and stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle for liberation from military occupation, colonialist oppression, and the brutal apartheid system imposed by the state of Israel.”
The common theme among these leftist organizations is anti-colonialism. According to leftist ideology, colonialism is one of the great “sins” of the West. In their view, colonialism was used as a means for the more powerful and advanced European nations to subjugate less powerful nations, oppress the native populace, and plunder their resources to enrich themselves. As a result, any violence, no matter how heinous, can be justified in the name of anti-colonialism. Ironically, they seem to give Islam a free pass for colonizing the entire Middle East along with North Africa.
The left presents a very one-sided view of colonialism while disregarding any of its positive contributions. And yes, there were positive contributions. That’s not to say that there were no wrongs done. Imperfect human beings will rule imperfectly, which has been the case all throughout history. There were certainly instances of oppression, slavery, and exploitation to be found. King Leopold’s II rule of the Congo is one example, although he didn’t rule the Congo as a colony but rather as his own personal property. However, not all colonies were created equal, and in general, colonies under British rule fared the best. What is needed is a more balanced view of colonialism.
The left’s disdain for colonialism is tied to their disdain for the West in general. During the Renaissance, the West made huge technological leaps ahead of the rest of the world. For roughly the past 400 years, the West has dominated the globe. First, through the British Empire, which controlled 23.8% of the world's entire land area at its height, and then continuing with the United States as the premiere superpower. But instead of attributing the West’s success to better ideas, the free markets for fostering competition and technological advancements, intellectualism that started in Greece, and Christianity, which paved the way for universities and science, the left instead attributes the West’s success to empowering and enriching themselves through colonialism. But how accurate is that?
In reality, colonialism was an expensive endeavor. While some individuals and companies did profit, most did not. The European empires themselves typically lost money to maintain and defend a colony. In fact, this was the reason the British Parliament imposed taxes on the thirteen colonies, which culminated in the American Revolution. Any profits made from colonies were too small to have any substantial impact on the economic growth of the West. Moreover, even when colonies did plunder their colonies, it didn’t necessarily enrich them. Take Spain, for instance. Between 1521 and 1590, Spain exported two hundred tons of gold and more than eighteen thousand tons of silver from the New World. Yet, despite this massive influx of precious metals, Spain went bankrupt eight times from 1557 to 1653. Today, Spain is but a shell of its former self.
One would expect that if colonialism were so evil, all the post-colonial countries would have fared better after gaining their independence. Yet, this hasn’t always been the case. At one point, the Europeans controlled nearly all of Africa. Yet today, Africa is no better off than when it was under colonial rule. Africa remains the poorest continent on the planet, riddled with social and economic problems, wars, and diseases, despite being rich in natural resources. Latin America is no different. Though they also have abundant resources, Latin America is plagued with crime and poverty.
And what of the countries that have never been touched by colonialism? Consider Iran and Saudi Arabia. These are two countries that have never been colonized, yet today they remain among the least moderate countries in the Middle East. Up until recently, women in Saudi Arabia were not even allowed to drive. The Saudis continue to have some of the harshest laws and the worst human rights abuses. The same can be said of Iran, where speaking out against the government can land you seventy-four lashes across the back.
What is never acknowledged from the left are the positive contributions that colonialism left behind. Colonialism brought civilization to the underdeveloped parts of the world. It created infrastructure that did not exist before and introduced Western medicine, science, education, and law, which have benefited the native populace. In India, for example, they still retain the British legal system, despite having gained their independence from the British in 1947. Colonialism is also responsible for ending barbarisms. Missionaries in China helped to end the age-old practice of foot binding, which left women with lifelong disabilities. In India, European influence helped to end the practice of widows burning themselves alive atop their husband's funeral pyres. In the New World, Spanish conquistadors ended millennia of human sacrifice and cannibalism that were commonly practiced among the Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, and other native tribes.
Colonialism may have yielded mixed results. There were certainly some bad things that came out of it, but there were good things that came out of it as well, and they shouldn’t be forgotten. The left likes to present a very biased picture of colonialism. However, the truth is more nuanced than they would ever admit. We shouldn’t let the left get away with using the history of colonialism to demonize the West. And we certainly shouldn’t let them get away with using anticolonialism as an excuse to justify acts of murder and violence.
