@Chipthemonk @boyi Point is, before being colonised, India was at a similar level of tech to Japan; some would say India's textiles were ahead. So if left to themselves, what makes you think they wouldn't have built railways etc. as Japan did? Likewise, Ethiopia already had roads, courts etc. when briefly occupied by Italy. The Italians' advantage was an air force & poison gas.

[–] Chipthemonk@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If they were as advanced, then they wouldn’t have been colonized. The railways were introduced by the British colonizers.

Sure, many places would have eventually caught up, maybe, but it would have taken a long, long time.

The anti colonialism narrative that is big these days could use a lot more nuance.

[–] michaelgraaf@campaign.openworlds.info 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@Chipthemonk What you say about being advanced is true if defined militarily. So they "needed to be colonised" because they were unable to repel colonisers (as Japan did, and as Ethiopia did until the 1930s)?

[–] Chipthemonk@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Many natives welcomed the colonizers because they could trade with the them and advance their own cultures. It wasn’t purely about oppressors and oppressed. That binary view is simply removed from reality.