Comments by "VisibilityFoggy" (@VisibilityFoggy) on "The PROBLEM with OVERSEAS FRANCE (the remains of the Empire) - VisualPolitik EN" video.

  1. How much economic activity and development can we reasonably expect to occur in far-flung islands in the middle of nowhere? I'm not sure what these people really want to occur.
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  2. Compensating slave owners prevented the collapse of many of these places, since they were dependent on single industries. Had the slave owners not been compensated, they would have gone bankrupt and simply moved out, leaving no business or commerce remaining. Essentially, it would have been what occurred when European farmers had their land expropriated in Africa – it was turned over to the local people who had no idea what to do with it, and extreme poverty took over. Giving money to former slaves may have been a "nice" gesture, but it would not have made the development of these places any greater. In fact, it probably would have financed conflict.
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  3.  @tany2191  How are these tiny islands going to be "re-integrated into the global economy?" They are thousands of miles from population centers, have no natural resources except for fruits and vegetables, and frankly, were never integrated into the world economy UNTIL they were colonized. If France had never colonized these places, chances are they would not be any more wealthy or developed than they are now due to their remote locales. I'm not sure what throwing western money at them would really accomplish, unless you're funding the relocation of their populaces. And yes, there IS a debate, and you're actively debating it right now. ;)
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  4. There really isn't much of a comparison there. Guam was a colony of the Spanish Empire before being ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American war. It then was occupied by Japan, then came back under American jurisdiction after the Japanese were defeated in World War II. Since then, it really just become populated with American military personnel. The U.S. never ran it as a "colony," per se, they just built a naval base there and granted everyone American citizenship.
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  5. They did ask, and half the people refused to vote. So...
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  6. Europe had no resources to keep up these colonies following World War II, much less fight the various paramilitary movements that were being provoked by the Soviets. It was easier just to give them independence and let the chips fall where they may. Actually, given the lack of funds and Europe itself being in physical ruin, there really wasn't a choice.
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