> A lot of this, I think, is the result of geography rather than the Finns (or rather, their leaders) being different / special.
Romania never participated in the colonial era as well but it's not they wouldn't have liked to.
Doesn’t this apply to everywhere though. I’m sure every country would have loved to colonize places but didn’t for various reasons.
I don’t think there are “evil” countries that colonized because they are evil. All countries that could, did.
Fortunately, recently people became more moral and have worked to limit this. Although cynically, I think it’s because the less evil way is no more lucrative.
Poland wasn’t into colonizing. The country wasn’t overpopulated yet and the elites were very rich from grain exports anyway, so why bother competing with other European powers for the New World?
I’m speaking about Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, which existed during the first stages of colonisation, and in which Poland played the dominant role.
Doesn’t this apply to everywhere though. I’m sure every country would have loved to colonize places but didn’t for various reasons.
I don’t think there are “evil” countries that colonized because they are evil. All countries that could, did.
Fortunately, recently people became more moral and have worked to limit this. Although cynically, I think it’s because the less evil way is no more lucrative.