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From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Better DEAD than RED
Message-ID: <5718@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Jun-85 14:17:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5718
Posted: Fri Jun 21 14:17:11 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Jun-85 14:17:11 EDT
References: <893@mnetor.UUCP> <5642@utzoo.UUCP> <896@mnetor.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 21

> It is a weasel ... in the context of a discussion
> on whether or not western nations have a history of colonial exploitation
> from the beginning of their colonial activities...
> I think the question we started with
> (if *that* event is well-defined) is something like, "Did western
> industrialization receive significant benefit by mistreatment of colonies?"

Funny, I thought the question we started with was the all-too-common
assertion that the wealth of the Western world is fundamentally and
primarily the result of oppression of the colonies.  And I don't recall
"industrialization" (as opposed to the more general issue of "wealth")
being part of the original question at all.

As I've said, I am willing to concede modest-but-significant benefits
to the later phases of Western growth from colonial oppression.  What I
dispute is the silly notion that the West would have gotten nowhere without
other people to exploit.  Proponents of that view seemingly have never
grasped the concept of a non-zero-sum game.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry