Is Neo-Colonialism Beneficial? It Depends

Between the 15th and 20th centuries colonialism was a mainstay for any European power that engaged in empire building. Colonialism provided an advantage because the colonising power was able to exploit the resources of the conquered territory. In the modern world many countries, including the United States, engage in neocolonialism.

Much of neocolonialism is about controlling another nations natural resources and this can provide a benefit. An example of this morally precarious activity is China's control of Africa's natural resources. This backdoor control of a nations resources is certainly a large part of neocolonialism, but another part is the direct control over a territory that is not directly linked to the main country.

This form of neocolonialism is the residue left over from years of European and American empire building. Former empires, such as the United States, Great Britain, and France, now control many territories that do not have a direct link to the main country. Where as controlling a nations resources can provided an economic advantage, this other form of neocolonialism often acts as an economic liability for the people of the colonising power.

France is by far the best example of the possible economic liabilities of neocolonialism. France is in control of many territories including French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Guadeloupe and Martinique, Reunion and Mayotte off the coast of Madagascar, and the nation sized overseas territory of French Guiana in South America.

In total, these overseas territories add an additional 2.5 million people to the population of France. In the modern world these overseas territories no longer provide a benefit to the nation of France and large amounts of wealth must be used to support their populations, no small matter considering the high rate of poverty and unemployment in these far off lands.

The United States is also of guilty of possessing territories that no longer provide a benefit. The U.S. Virgin Islands, America Samoa, and Puerto Rico are all great examples of welfare states that receive a considerable amounts of money from the federal government. Puerto Rico is the most extreme case because 20% of the islands personal income comes from federal aid.

There are some notable exceptions when it comes to American overseas territories. The island of Guam is a great example of a territory that provides a brilliant strategic advantage for the United States. Guam is an island of 170,000 people that is positioned only 2,507 miles from Beijing. This closeness to China is important because our long range bombers only have a range of 8,000 miles and must have a land based airbase to get off the ground. If we did not have Guam we would not have a naval and airbase close enough to protect our interest in the region.

The greatest example of a beneficial overseas territory is the island of Diego Garcia. This tiny island in the Indian ocean provides the United States and Great Britain with the unique ability of reaching Eastern Africa, the Middle East, India, and the Oceania with our long rang bombers. It should be noted that the original population was removed from the island and given very little financial support. I believe that it is the United States governments responsibility to provide vast support for the original population and their descendants that now number 4,500. That being said, the great importance of Diego Garcia means that we cannot allow the original population to return to Diego Garcia or the surrounding islands.

If a nation is going to engage in neocolonialism, it must make certain that the territory in question provides a benefit and not a liability. If a territory, such as Puerto Rico and America Samoa, provides a liability then there is no reason to provide large amounts of wealth for a group of people that has very little cultural and historical links to the mainland. Territories like Guam and Diego Garcia, which provides a strategic advantage that is the envy of all aspiring superpowers, should be provided for because of there unique importance.