DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY ON COLONIALISM AND IMPERIALISM:

INTRODUCTION:

Colonialism:
Colonialism refers to the domination a country is subjected to by another
developed and superior country in terms of political, economic, cultural, and
social aspects. The main goal of this is to extract economic benefits from the
underdeveloped or developing country, even if it is posing a threat to their
economy. The word colonialism emerged from the Latin word "Colonia," which
roughly translates to "a place for agriculture." Colonialism can altogether
change the social structure and economic state of a region. In the long run, the
traits of the country that is colonizing a said area are adopted by the colony.
Colonialism can be further divided into settler and exploitation colonialism as
well.

Imperialism:
A policy or ideology where control of another country is taken by exercising
military force, by direct territorial acquisitions. Imperialism can be perceived as
an aggressive form of colonialism. It uses hard power as well as soft power to
gain control of the country. The word imperialism originated from the Latin
language and the word "imperium," which means superpower, sovereignty, or
simply rule. Imperialism, like colonialism, aims to undertake the control of a
country as a whole by boasting its superior military powers and hence instilling
a sense of fear.

Causes of Colonialism:

1. Economic Reasons:
 The European industrialized nations realized the need to expand their
markets globally as they could not sell their products domestically. This
happened in the year 1870.
  Foreign investments promised the incentive of greater profits, even
though there were risk factors to consider.
 The availability of cheap labor and a steady supply of raw materials
essential for the production of various goods further fuelled the origin of
colonialism. The countries became interested in seizing control over the
industrial nations and unexplored areas.

2.Political and military reasons:

 The then developed European nations also felt that colonies were critical
in terms of military power, national security, and nationalism.
 Having a strong navy is the key to success by the military leaders. Hence
naval vessels wanted military bases around the world to take coal
supplies, etc.

3.Humanitarian and religious goals;

 Westerners believed that the Europeans should help their little brothers
who were beyond the seas. This meant that the non-whites could receive
the facilities of medicine, learn the law, and can follow Christianity.

The urge for adventure:

Imperial explorers sought maps to carry voyages around the world, claiming
territory before their competitors did. This was carried out. 
Partly for the national and personal glory.

 THE CONCEPT OF NEO COLONIALISM

  Control of developing countries by developed countries via indirect ways.

After World War II, the term neo-colonialism was first used to refer to former
colonies' continued reliance on foreign countries. Still, its meaning soon
broadened to include places where developed countries' power was used to
produce colonial-like exploitation—for example, in Latin America, where direct
foreign rule had ended in the early nineteenth century.
The word has become synonymous with a sort of global dominance in which
transnational businesses and global and multilateral institutions work together to
maintain colonial practices of exploitation of underdeveloped countries. Neo-
colonialism has been widely defined as a development of capitalism that allows
capitalist forces (including nations and companies) to exert dominance over
subject countries through the operations of international capitalism rather than
through direct rule. 

THE REFERENCE OF A BOOK THAT I READ:

The book fishing for enemies has the feel of espionage fiction, but it is a
memoir. Stockwell, the antidote to Greene's Pyle, resigned from the CIA in
1976 after 12 years as an operations officer and penned this book. When he was
assigned to command the CIA's Angola task force in 1975, he was outraged by
America's policy: "We lied to Congress and... We engaged in collaborative
efforts with South Africa under the supervision of the CIA director." He
demonstrates that the US, not the Soviets or the Cubans, was in charge of
escalating the conflict in Angola. The war lasted a total of 27 years. 
This book is set in the backdrop of Angola that was being colonized by the
Republic of Cuba and the USSR, but as the plot unfolds, it is revealed that it
was the US that was behind the entire colonialization of Angola.

RECENT EXAMPLES OF NEOCOLONIALISM:

1. Not only countries but the MNCs that belong to various countries are
guilty of neo-colonialism as well, recently; in the West African nations of
Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mauritania, fishing was primarily central to
the economy, but when the European Union began signing contracts with
the government for fishing in the coast of West Africa. Commercial and
overfishing of the area leading to environmental stress and sustainability
of the fishes arose, thus resulting in large-scale migration as
unemployment was caused. This violates the United Nations convention
law of the seas as well.
 2. USA's benevolent ideology of neo-colonialism is continuing even as of
now as they are trying to exercise control globally by employing soft
power as a tool, which means that they are not using military power or
economic reforms but by cultural hegemony in which the US wants their
culture to be accepted as a global norm. Mass immigration to the US will
prove as evidence to this hypothesis.
A large population of students and professionals are keen on migrating to the
US because of their pop culture, rock music, and fast food availability. Not to
mention the hype that was created and is prevailing around New York City until
now.

CONCLUSION:

The recently held 74th international conference of the United Nations general
assembly which was opened on September 17, 2019, until September 21, 2020, 
It highlighted that nearly 2 million people living in 16 different countries are
under colonial rule. Colonialism is a tool of the developed greedy countries to
loot the underdeveloped or developing countries. It is the 21st century, and it's
high time that everyone realizes that the 2 million people deserve better.