Introduction
In my view, there are many benefits and drawbacks of European colonization. I think that the world is worse off for having been colonized by Europe. Some claim that both colonized and European countries gained benefits such as developing infrastructure and political systems, reducing food security and poverty, and improving healthcare and education (Layne, 2021).
Discussion
I would say that colonization resulted in issues in our society, such as economic dependency, slave trade, continuous wars and conflicts, and loss of cultural identities of different tribes and groups (Layne, 2021). Consequently, I think that the cons of colonization outweigh the pros of the process, and the world might have been in a better state. If Europe had not embarked on a period of colonization, the world might be much more diverse and less Eurocentric. I think that Africa would have been significantly more developed than it is today. Some negative consequences of colonialism are the loss of cultural identities and the economic dependence of colonized countries on European states. One example of a lost culture is an African indigenous tribe – Igbo (Slattery, n.d.). The tribe’s culture gradually became non-existent because of solid religious propaganda imposed by British colonists. Indigenous people turned to Christianity and gave up on many original customs and traditions (Ross, 2019). I think that the U.S., as a colonial product of Europe, would not have formed or would not have become a major superpower.
Conclusion
It would have been better by various social measures in terms of wealth and power distribution on the geopolitical scale. There would be less inequality and a smaller economic gap because Europeans united due to their uniqueness compared to the rest of the world and developed rapidly (Mingst, 2003). I presume the gap between developed and developing countries in all spheres, from technology to politics, would have been significantly smaller, and therefore, the world would have probably been a better place to live.
References
Layne, J. (2021). 21 important pros and cons of colonialism 2022 – Ablison Energy. Ablison. Web.
Mingst, Karen A. (2003). Essentials of International Relations (2nd ed.). New York: Norton.
Ross, E. (2019). The past is still present: Why colonialism deserves better coverage. The Correspondent. Web.
Slattery, K. (n.d.). The Igbo People – Origins & History. The Igbo people – origins & history. Web.