I like how they do it in Bolivia

[eynon81]

[Spider]

If white guilt doesn't exist neither does colonialism. Its only fair.

[eynon81]

[Spider]

Well...it was a thing. A common pattern of behavior among competing groups. Like feudalism.

[eynon81]

[Spider]

We'll need better spaceships.

[eynon81]

[Spider]

I mean in the traditional sense. Sure, we can do the whole "cultural imperialism" and "resource extraction imperialism", "economic imperialism" etc etc.

The only place actually taking taking territory and colonizing it is Israel, in the West Bank.

[eynon81]

[Spider]

I don't think so. Well, the idea was certainly to chase wealth, but it wasn't the same back then...the Americas (and Africa, mostly) were populated by stone age people who didn't have the structures to really play with economics. It was necessary to actually send settlers over and build up the infrastructure to allow resource extraction to happen. To say nothing of creating a new market from thin air by extending your empire to a vast new place.

Nowadays we trade with people. Our economic advantages keep rates favorable enough that we don't have to actually conquer the middle east to get the oil out of it, and the spread of consumerism in the developing world means we can take advantage of already extant infrastructure for trade. Conquest is expensive. No need for it anymore.

If things were to change though...and it was no longer practical to have a light touch...could get ugly again. Hopefully I die before the energy wars and famines start.