The Case for Colonialism

1. Colonialism: A Case for Reevaluation

The notion that colonialism is always and everywhere a bad thing needs to be rethought in light of the grave human toll of a century of anti-colonial regimes and policies.

Challenging the Narrative. For too long, colonialism has been viewed through a solely negative lens. It's time to re-evaluate this perspective, considering the detrimental consequences of anti-colonial movements and policies that have emerged over the past century. This reevaluation is not about glorifying the past, but about understanding the complexities of colonialism and its impact on the world.

Beyond Good and Evil. The simplistic view of colonialism as inherently evil prevents a nuanced understanding of its effects. A more balanced approach acknowledges both the positive and negative aspects of colonial rule, recognizing that its impact varied significantly across time and place. This requires a willingness to challenge established narratives and engage in critical thinking.

Reclaiming the Toolkit. By reclaiming the "colonial toolkit," which includes effective governance strategies and a commitment to international order, developing countries can improve their own situations and contribute to global stability. This is not about advocating for a return to colonial rule, but about learning from the past and applying its lessons to the present.

2. Anti-Colonialism's Three Critical Failures

The origins of anti-colonial thought were political and ideological. The purpose was not historical accuracy but contemporaneous advocacy.

Objective Harm vs. Benefit. Anti-colonial critiques often fail to acknowledge the objective benefits that colonialism brought to many regions, such as infrastructure development, education, and healthcare. These benefits are often dismissed or downplayed, while the negative aspects of colonial rule are amplified. This creates a distorted picture of the past that ignores the complexities of colonial history.

Subjective Illegitimacy vs. Legitimacy. The assumption that colonialism was universally rejected by colonized populations is often inaccurate. Many people in colonized regions saw benefits in colonial rule, such as protection from rival groups or access to modern institutions. This acceptance of colonial rule is often ignored or dismissed as "false consciousness" by anti-colonial critics.

Truth vs. Advocacy. Anti-colonial thought was often driven by political and ideological agendas rather than a commitment to historical accuracy. This has led to a biased and distorted understanding of colonialism, where historical facts are often sacrificed in the service of contemporary advocacy. This weaponization of the colonial past hinders genuine progress and understanding.

3. The Devastating Costs of Anti-Colonialism

Anti-colonialism ravaged countries as nationalist elites mobilized illiterate populations with appeals to destroy the market economies, pluralistic and constitutional polities, and rational policy processes of European colonizers.

Economic Ruin. In many post-colonial states, nationalist elites dismantled market economies and rational policy processes, leading to economic collapse and widespread poverty. The promise of liberation often turned into a nightmare of corruption, mismanagement, and economic stagnation. This devastation is often ignored or blamed on the "legacies of colonialism," rather than the choices made by post-colonial leaders.

Political Tyranny. Anti-colonial movements often replaced colonial rule with authoritarian regimes that suppressed dissent and violated human rights. The dream of self-determination turned into a reality of political tyranny and oppression. This is a tragic outcome that is often overlooked in anti-colonial narratives.

International Instability. Anti-colonialism has fueled international instability, with former colonies often aligning themselves against the West and hindering efforts to address global challenges. This has prevented coordinated responses to humanitarian crises and security threats, perpetuating cycles of conflict and suffering. The foreign policies of these former colonies continue to be driven by a sense of victimhood and entitlement rather than rational self-interest or global responsibility.

4. Resurrecting Colonial Governance: A Path Forward

Reclaiming this colonial trajectory abandoned at independence is key to the colonial governance agenda.

Affirming the Past. The colonial governance agenda explicitly acknowledges and borrows from a country's colonial past, seeking ideas and notions of governmentality. This involves identifying successful administrative structures and ideological concepts from the colonial era and adapting them to the present. This is not about romanticizing the past, but about learning from it.

Building Capacity. Recognizing the lack of capacity for effective self-government in many post-colonial states, the colonial governance agenda emphasizes increasing foreign involvement in key sectors to bolster this capacity. This can involve hiring foreign experts to rebuild institutions, partnering with international organizations to deliver public services, or tasking multinational corporations with public service provision.

Embracing Cosmopolitanism. The colonial governance agenda embraces a cosmopolitanism often lacking in the good governance agenda, with a shared standard of what a well-governed country looks like. This involves promoting universal values such as the rule of law, human rights, and economic freedom, rather than simply accepting "authentic" or "indigenous" practices.

5. Recolonization: A Necessary, Though Contentious, Step

It may be that in some cases, only a formal share of sovereignty for Western countries can provide the mix of accountability and authority needed to build capacity in weak states.

Addressing State Weakness. In some cases, weak states may require a formal share of sovereignty for Western countries to provide the necessary accountability and authority to build capacity. This involves handing over key legal and police functions to external powers to combat corruption and criminalization of the state. This is not about imposing Western values, but about creating a stable and functional state.

Overcoming Obstacles. Making new forms of colonialism work requires addressing three key challenges: ensuring acceptance from the colonized, motivating Western countries to become colonial again, and achieving lasting results. This requires careful planning, strong leadership, and a commitment to long-term engagement.

Learning from the Past. The colonial past offers valuable lessons for modern state-building efforts. This involves studying the successes and failures of past colonial administrations and adapting their strategies to the present. This is not about replicating the past, but about learning from it.

6. Building New Colonies: A Radical Solution

New colonies solve the three challenges above nicely. For the local population, they are legitimate because citizens choose to move there, escaping worse situations and because their governments agree to the terms.

Charter Cities. One radical solution is to build new Western colonies from scratch, such as "charter cities" in poor countries. Under this model, largely empty land is leased to a foreign nation or group of nations, allowing a modern enclave to grow up under their sovereignty. This offers a blank slate to transplant home institutions without having to work with rotten local ones.

Addressing Challenges. New colonies solve the challenges of local legitimacy, Western motivation, and effectiveness. They are legitimate because citizens choose to move there, escaping worse situations, and because their governments agree to the terms. They are attractive to Western states because they are low risk and self-financing. They are effective because they have a blank slate to transplant home institutions.

A Modest Proposal. A preposterous idea? Perhaps. But not so preposterous as the anti-colonial ideology that has haunted the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the Third World for the past hundred years. A hundred years of disaster is enough. It is time to make the case for colonialism again.

7. The Intellectual Battle: Facing the Hate Mob

It was that sort of language that made me briefly lose confidence, apologize on my website, and ask the journal to withdraw the article. This was an act of self-censorship.

Ferocious Backlash. The publication of "The Case for Colonialism" unleashed a fierce and often personal backlash, with critics resorting to name-calling, accusations of racism, and calls for censorship. This illustrates the intense ideological opposition to any challenge to the anti-colonial orthodoxy.

Standing Firm. Despite the pressure to retract the article, the author stood firm, refusing to be silenced by the hate mob. This act of intellectual courage is a testament to the importance of defending academic freedom and promoting open debate, even on controversial topics.

A Call for Reason. The author's experience highlights the need for a more reasoned and nuanced discussion of colonialism, one that is based on evidence and logic rather than emotion and ideology. This requires a willingness to challenge established narratives and engage in critical thinking.

8. The Colonial Encounter: A Complex and Varied History

The colonial encounter was huge, epochal, varied, and complex. To reduce it to a bumper sticker is worse than wrong, it is dull.

Beyond Bumper Stickers. The colonial encounter was a multifaceted and transformative period in world history, with diverse experiences and outcomes across different regions and time periods. Reducing it to a simple slogan or bumper sticker is not only inaccurate but also intellectually lazy.

Nuance and Context. Understanding the colonial encounter requires careful attention to nuance and context, recognizing that its impact varied depending on the specific policies and practices of colonial powers, as well as the unique social, economic, and political conditions of colonized regions. This involves avoiding generalizations and engaging in detailed case studies.

The Voices of the Colonized. It is crucial to listen to the voices of those who lived through the colonial period, recognizing that their experiences and perspectives were diverse and often contradictory. This involves challenging simplistic narratives of victimhood and acknowledging the agency and resilience of colonized peoples.

9. The Moral High Ground: Colonialism and Human Flourishing

To say, as I did, that colonialism was mostly good, in the economic and social sense of the word, is merely to state the obvious.

Defining "Good." The claim that colonialism was "mostly good" is based on a specific definition of "good" that emphasizes economic and social progress, such as increased life expectancy, improved education, and infrastructure development. This definition may not be universally accepted, but it provides a framework for evaluating the objective impact of colonial rule.

Evidence-Based Analysis. The case for colonialism rests on a growing body of empirical research that demonstrates the positive effects of colonial rule on various aspects of human well-being. This research challenges the dominant narrative of colonialism as inherently exploitative and harmful.

A Counterfactual Perspective. Evaluating the ethics of colonialism requires considering the counterfactual: what would have happened in colonized regions absent colonial rule? This involves comparing the actual outcomes of colonialism with the likely outcomes of alternative scenarios, such as continued internal conflict or domination by other powers.

10. The Uncomfortable Truth: The Illegitimacy of Anti-Colonialism

It was the fear that these “loudmouthed minorities” are no longer able to bully their kinsmen into silence on the question of colonialism.

Challenging the Orthodoxy. The author's experience highlights the challenges of challenging the anti-colonial orthodoxy in academia and the broader intellectual sphere. This requires courage, intellectual rigor, and a willingness to face criticism and opposition.

The Power of Dissent. Despite the risks, it is essential to challenge dominant narratives and promote open debate on controversial topics. This is crucial for advancing knowledge and promoting a more nuanced understanding of the past.

Reclaiming the Narrative. By reclaiming the narrative of colonialism and challenging the anti-colonial orthodoxy, we can create space for a more honest and evidence-based discussion of its legacies. This is essential for informing policy decisions and promoting a more just and prosperous future.

Last updated: March 6, 2025