food for thought

I have always been shocked and horrified at Imperialism and the justifications behind it. It is such a travesty that the Europeans felt that they were superior and thus validated to go into places like Africa and Asia and completely disrupt their societies and ways of life. Furthermore, the amount of bloodshed that was caused due to Imperialism is atrocious. Many people started to feel this way in Europe itself when Morel exposed the ugly truths behind what was really happening in the Congo. Why didn't horrors like that cease, though? Why was it that the Europeans kept forging war and committing monstrosities? The answer, to me, seems simple. It is because of the resources like the rubber, oil, etc. that the colonies provided for Europe. As much as I like to show my disdain for imperialism, I have to wonder at what the Western world would be like today if none of its major powers participated in "extending its authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over over nations"(I think I'm quoting Cas' powerpoint's definition of Imperialism?) I wonder if our countries (the US and the major European powers) would be as wealthy if those other places were not exploited or if we were not getting oil from the Middle East today in what I consider to be modern day Imperialism. Would we be enjoying our heightened place in world affairs and politics? Would we even have enough rubber and oil? I honestly don't know the answers to these questions, but I do feel like the territories that were gained through Imperialism were huge assets. So I wonder about, even though there is so much outrage around the issue of imperialism, if we would all be willing to possibly live in a very different Western world than the one we know today? What would be the state of our nation if Imperialism never happened?