Jean-Paul Faguet

And when they left, they basically left similar public administrations and constitutions that were written in a great rush in the late 50s and early 60s that looked very similar to one another. But man, these institutions work in very different ways. Some of them are stable. Some of them are horrifically unstable. Some are actually pretty honest and straightforward. Others are massively corrupt.

And when they left, they basically left similar public administrations and constitutions that were written in a great rush in the late 50s and early 60s that looked very similar to one another. But man, these institutions work in very different ways. Some of them are stable. Some of them are horrifically unstable. Some are actually pretty honest and straightforward. Others are massively corrupt.

But you look at the black and white and it's almost identical or very similar.

But you look at the black and white and it's almost identical or very similar.

Sean, this is about as charged a question as it's possible to ask these days. That's why we pay you the big bucks. So I've got a two part answer to that. On the first level, you know, it kind of is a normative issue.

Sean, this is about as charged a question as it's possible to ask these days. That's why we pay you the big bucks. So I've got a two part answer to that. On the first level, you know, it kind of is a normative issue.

I don't think anyone really thinks or certainly no one is willing to say out loud that colonialism was a good idea and we should repeat it in the sense of foreigners taking over foreign society, foreign people and pushing them around and making them do things that they don't want to do. Nobody thinks this is a good idea.

I don't think anyone really thinks or certainly no one is willing to say out loud that colonialism was a good idea and we should repeat it in the sense of foreigners taking over foreign society, foreign people and pushing them around and making them do things that they don't want to do. Nobody thinks this is a good idea.

And although there are many, so nobody, I mean, you know, academics and researchers working in this field. Partly you can't say it because you'll be pilloried, but also like I would never say that and I don't know anyone serious who would say that in the way that people did until fairly recently.

And although there are many, so nobody, I mean, you know, academics and researchers working in this field. Partly you can't say it because you'll be pilloried, but also like I would never say that and I don't know anyone serious who would say that in the way that people did until fairly recently.

I mean, you know, as late as the 70s, there were still academics holding forth that, you know, thank God for all of these countries that were colonized by the British and got civilization, you know. People would make that argument. Nobody says that anymore. Now, there is a separately...

I mean, you know, as late as the 70s, there were still academics holding forth that, you know, thank God for all of these countries that were colonized by the British and got civilization, you know. People would make that argument. Nobody says that anymore. Now, there is a separately...

a series of interesting questions about what were the empirical effects of colonialism, because it did happen and it had lots of effects. And the best statement, you know, the sort of the cutting edge of the field today is that colonialism was a complex treatment that did a number of different things, many of them bad, some of them absolutely horrific, immoral, etc.

a series of interesting questions about what were the empirical effects of colonialism, because it did happen and it had lots of effects. And the best statement, you know, the sort of the cutting edge of the field today is that colonialism was a complex treatment that did a number of different things, many of them bad, some of them absolutely horrific, immoral, etc.

But others, you know, had good effects, like the colonies, without doubt, built some infrastructure. And as between in places that didn't have paved roads and didn't have railroads, as between having them and not having them, it was better to have them. So the process of generating that was awful. And illiberal and abused human rights, etc.

But others, you know, had good effects, like the colonies, without doubt, built some infrastructure. And as between in places that didn't have paved roads and didn't have railroads, as between having them and not having them, it was better to have them. So the process of generating that was awful. And illiberal and abused human rights, etc.

So that's not to say, thank God for colonialism because now India got railroads. No, that's not the argument. On the other hand, you can try to separate what is the incremental effect or the marginal effect of having the railroads. And without doubt, that led to economic integration and lower transport costs.

So that's not to say, thank God for colonialism because now India got railroads. No, that's not the argument. On the other hand, you can try to separate what is the incremental effect or the marginal effect of having the railroads. And without doubt, that led to economic integration and lower transport costs.

And it makes it easier to have a national economy than before when these places just operated as separate sort of economic spheres and fiefdoms.

And it makes it easier to have a national economy than before when these places just operated as separate sort of economic spheres and fiefdoms.