Final answer:
US officials supported the European empires during postwar struggles for independence, leading to distrust in developing nations. Industrialists supported building a navy for foreign trade, resembling the colonial economic model. Colonies were designed to benefit the imperial power rather than support the development of the colony.
Step-by-step explanation:
US officials were determined to prevent newly independent nations from falling to communism in order to prevent a conflict like the Korean War. However, many residents of these nations resented the generous aid given to their former imperial oppressors through the Marshall Plan. The United States' support of the European empires during postwar struggles for independence caused distrust in the developing nations.
Industrialists in the United States supported the construction of a modern navy to gain access to foreign markets and trade American-made products for raw materials. This approach, ironically, mirrored the colonial economic model that the US had rebelled against in the past. The US claimed it would respect the independence of foreign nations while spreading ideas of democracy and freedom, but these sentiments were often tainted by assumptions of racial superiority.
Colonies were initially designed by imperial powers to provide labor and resources to the homeland. The infrastructure in colonies, such as port cities and transportation systems, was implemented solely for the benefit of the imperial power and disregarded the development of the colony itself.