I work in academia and told a professor of history and anthropology that despite it’s bad points that imperialism made many parts of the world a much better place. You would have thought I slapped him upside the head with a ten pound trout!
He stuttered and went red faced and I said are not most countries where there was a long time European presence and rule in a better place where government, economics and poverty are concerned and I cited a few examples. He agreed but then started on the abuses of imperialism. I said did I not say there were abuses? Yes, but... So abuses aside are these countries better off? Well it could be said they are in some cases, but...
I once told him in jest we should have kept all of Mexico during the US/Mexican war. I thought he was going to stroke out lol! I enjoy setting this guy off like a Roman candle.
Mexican civilian leadership tried to talk Scott into taking up the cause of annexing all of Mexico with Polk. Scott was not going to do that. Scott being a Southern Whig already had enough problems with Polk. Polk would likely interrupt Scott’s actions as furthering his presidential ambitions. Then the Mexican grandees offer Scott the dictatorship of Mexico. They probably figured better him then some other puffed-up Mexican military\civilian incompetent. Scott of course said no to that!