On the Fact that England and France Were Unquestionably the Top Two Colonial Powers of the 19th Century and yet Today They Only Rank 14th and 15th Among European Counties In Their Per-Capita GDP (Both Well Behind Ireland, a Country that Itself Had Been Colonized by England In Prior Centuries) - http://statisticstimes.com/economy/european-countries-by-gdp-per-capita.php

So either colonialism didn't make these countries affluent or it did and they frittered that wealth away with statist buffoonery. Either way someone's narrative gets gored......and I love it.