I forget where I read this in regards to Afghanistan, but it was a quote of something like “progress was made in Europe naturally, but in Afghanistan it was brought by gunpoint by outsiders.”

And it’s true, both by the west and the USSR, although the latter’s case is more complicated due to the west’s machinations in the Middle East.

I think this has more weight rather than just economics because China is prospering but still very conservative, and it’s due to historic oppression by the west. In my opinion, Vietnam and Cuba have made progress with LGBT rights is because the US is so focused on China and Russia and the Middle East that they largely leave the two countries alone outside of economic meddling and standard anti communism. They’re able to progress on their own whereas China is paranoid because they’re the focus of a superpower rivalry and everything is thrown at them.

But your point still stands. Imran Khan of Pakistan wanted to normalize relationships with the Taliban. A Vice journalist asked him why he wanted to do this because the Taliban is oppressing girls and women. Khan said, well, look at it now. Afghanistan is isolated from the world and are girls benefitting from it? No. If we start incorporating them into the world stage then they would have no choice but to compromise, even if it’s slightly, to benefit from the world. Almost every isolated country has maintained its powers and ideologies, and it’s no surprise that countries like North Korea and Syria are reactionary since “democracy” is sieging them and they have no global economic connections.