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Japan was able to modernize without brutal colonial rulers. What makes you say India wasn't capable of the same thing?

Japan achieved modernization, in part, by becoming brutal colonial rulers themselves.

And then a vassal state...

shh we only remember the good parts of history...

/s

Fair point. But I think it still nullifies the argument that countries can't modernize without 'civilized' colonial rulers.

Well there's so much going on in the modernization process that it's a bit unclear. Was the US required for Japan to (fully) modernize?