The trick with colonialism is to have your colonies contiguous to your country. This worked for USA and Russia and is still working for China. 'No, we don't have colonies. They are part of our country'. France tried it with Algeria but it didn't work due to the Mediterranean.
The only difference between the British empire and it's predecessors was that it grew originally to make money, not gain power and influence. Hence the very real 18th century consideration of abandoning the American colonies as being loss making and keeping the Caribbean islands as profitable. Even the Raj was a company until the mid 19th century. Then the dirty money grubbers were elbowed aside by the righteous ponces like Cecil Rhodes as Britain started to believe it's own propaganda.
US foreign colonialism has been a colonialism by proxy. The British would move in and get the local leaders to rule the place for them. The US sought to get the same benefits without risking moving in. Hence their interference in Central and South America.
Lest it be thought that i am pointing the finger at anyone. I am pointing the finger at everyone. Every continent except Antartica has seen colonialism rampant for thousands of years and every nation/group/tribe has been guilty of it and been proud of doing so.
European colonialism is the (grubby and bloody) root of modern globalism which is raising the living standards of the world. As a Briton I welcome the growing wealth of the rest of the world. The more money the b*ggers have the more we can sell them! The global information revolution, from telegraph to mobile phones, means no bad deed goes hidden any more.
Modern colonialism is cultural but economically and politically enrichens all participants. Hungry peasants don't revolt against tyranny. The better fed and educated middle classes have been the ones to give voice to revolt and this is the growing future from mid 17th century England to 21st century North Africa.
BTW where is my bacon bar then?
