US Imperialism: 1898 to Present. Why the need?

[Winston]

Check out this great documentary called "Crucible of Empire: The Spanish American War". It explains how in 1898, the American frontier was gone, so the US needed to expand internationally with imperialist policies. It started by fighting the Spanish for their colonies. After defeating the Spanish, the US gained control over Cuba and the Philippines. Then it had to deal with rebel insurgents in both countries, and sent troops to squash them. In the Philippines, US troops killed 15,000 Filipino rebel troops, losing only 3,000 of their own.



What I don't understand is why historical documentaries and books talk about US imperialism in the 1890's, but do not mention that US imperialism is at work today too?

Also, why can't the US economy thrive and prosper within its own borders? Why does it need to expand internationally? Can't US businesses just sell to US consumers, and leave it at that? Why the need for imperialism?

[Mr.Darcy]

We have evolved to where our economy relies on others

[Winston]

We have evolved to where our economy relies on others

How and why? Doesn't the US have abundant natural resources?

[Banano]

Good read, it covers all these and more



or download audiobook from torrents


Here, Perkins pulls back the curtain on the real cause of the current global financial meltdown. He shows how we've been hoodwinked by the CEOs who run the corporatocracy—those few corporations that control the vast amounts of capital, land, and resources around the globe—and the politicians they manipulate. These corporate fat cats, Perkins explains, have sold us all on what he calls predatory capitalism, a misguided form of geopolitics and capitalism that encourages a widespread exploitation of the many to benefit a small number of the already very wealthy. Their arrogance, gluttony, and mismanagement have brought us to this perilous edge. The solution is not a "return to normal."

[HouseMD]

War and occupation simulate economic growth. You can sustain an economy within its own borders, but it is difficult to grow an economy without significant interests overseas. China is realizing the same thing - they must expand or risk catastrophe - hence their bid for the south China sea far beyond internationally recognized borders.

The other thing about war and occupation is that in America, politicians are openly allowed to profit from laws that they pass. The military sector is one of the few that the public allows extensive government control over, allowing politicians to get away with financial and actual murder at the taxpayer's expense.

[HouseMD]

We have evolved to where our economy relies on others

How and why? Doesn't the US have abundant natural resources?

even once those resources are harvested, someone must pay for them. If all of the people involved in the loan process, harvesting, management, waste disposal, and consumption side of things are from the same country, a lot of the gains made from the resource end up being cannibalized to interest, regulations, wage costs, etc. If you have acquired unregulated territory abroad, loan and labor costs are lower, regulations cost less, and once you are done with the land, you can abandon it and not have to worry about long term consequences. colonialism is an evil and efficient way for powerful countries to extract wealth from less powerful ones. China is currently the fastest expanding modem colonial power. They are buying farmland and natural resources all over the world for paltry sums. For now they are playing nice, but I assure you that when water and food become scarce and these poor counties want to reneg on their deals, they will be greeted with barbed wire, guns, and some cold faces.

[MrPeabody]

This is an educational documentary. It shows how they whip the country into war. The parallels are Amazing. President McKinley started out as a president wanting peace but was manipulated by Theodore Roosevelt (the neocon of his day) and Hearst into war. Through the media they get the country into believing the war in inevitable and must happen. Hearst used his newspaper to demonize Spain and create a monster in the Spanish General that needed to be taken out. America is going into Cuba in order to save the Cubans.

Look at this video and contrast it to the recent vilification of Assad and the American media supplying the propaganda for war. Americans only want to save the poor Syrians. We must bomb Syria. It's inevitable. Same formula almost exactly.

[Winston]

Yeah isn't it funny how history repeats itself? Same events, only different names and dates. It's like we are stuck in a matrix of repeating cycles.

It's kind of like the movie "Groundhog Day". We go through the same events in history until we learn from them and transcend them.

[Winston]

Did you all know that Hawaii was never lawfully annexed as a US state and its own sovereign government was overthrown by a US conspiracy? The US Congress even admitted it. See below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDXFXvWTVm8

The United States of Hypocrisy - The Stolen Nation of Hawaii FULL LENGTH

Documentary by Ken O'Keefe (2001)

Produced by Ken Nichols O'Keefe in early 2001, this is the virtually unknown story of Hawaii and the hidden Genocide being committed by the American government with the use of 'blood quantum' for the purpose of eliminating the Hawaiian national; and the reason America does this? Because according to their own laws, America never lawfully annexed Hawaii*, therefore according to law Hawaii never became a state, and if the Hawaiian land was never lawfully annexed, the only true claimant to the land, is the Hawaiian national.

Could Hawaii become a free nation once more? Nichols O'Keefe not only argues the possibility, he shows the peaceful, lawful process by which the Hawaiians (kanaka maoli) intend to free themselves of the American occupation; an occupation that has lasted well over 100 years, an occupation that has turned their island paradise nation into an American Empire military outpost, one that continues to be used as a staging ground for wars of aggression resulting in ever more death and destruction.

In 2008 the legislature of the reinstated Hawaiian Government (with Representative Ken O'Keefe of District 6, Oahu) passed a law that outlaws all weapons of mass destruction in Hawaii. In this bold move the Hawaiian Government has reached out to the world to see just how serious we are about ending imperialism and American domination of the world. Thus far the world continues to be oblivious to this cause and O'Keefe argues is missing one of the greatest opportunities of our time to affect disarmament and increase the chances for peace.

* Annexation was affected by joint resolution because the two/thirds majority that was needed to annex territory was not possible. In addition, the US Congress confessed in UNITED STATES PUBLIC LAW 103-150 that Hawaii was obtained by a conspiracy to overthrow the lawful government of Hawaii and furthermore that the Hawaiian people and nation have never relinquished title to their national lands. And to add to that, the anti-annexation petition that was circulated at the time of the proposed annexation of Hawaii to the United States had the signature of virtually every single Hawaiian living at that time.

[Winston]

Documentary on the US conquest of Hawaii. I wonder why the US doesn't annex Puerto Rico as a state too, especially since they want to become a US state?

[Moretorque]

Mr. Wu your very handsome as 007.

[IraqVet2003]

Please check out this related article.

67 COUNTRIES THE U.S. IS OBLIGED TO GO TO WAR FOR.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/6581 ... ged-go-war

[Vegascook]

In the 19th and early 20th century US Imperialism was driven mostly by the profits that the rich could reap from conquered territory. Cuba and the Philippines offered cheap resources that could be sold at high prices within the US market. Sugar by itself could have motivated the war against Spain since it was highly profitable, in low supply, and in ever increasing demand. The US Navy also had new "toys" to play with such as steam powered warships while Spain still retained an antiquated sail powered navy with decrepit and poorly maintained ships. It was extremely cost effective to wipe out Spain's Navy with no loss of American warships. Manila's harbor was the perfect choke point in which the US Navy essentially held position while Spain's ships sailed into a suicidal barrage of cannon fire which completely annihilated their fleet. Spain's colonies had severely restricted liberty and no voice in their affairs which meant an initial support of any enemy of Spain. The destruction of an American steamship was most likely arranged by an American business cartel to ensure a war against Spain. After the ship was blown up by "Spaniards" America declared war. The Navy was already in place to wipe out any resistance. It was a quick war that was clearly planned to take Spanish colonies that could be exploited for massive profits by American businessmen. It was a strategic military and economic decision by the US to seize Spanish possessions. Taking those colonies prevented other major powers from seizing them first and also showed the world that America had both a powerful and effective navy. The completion of the Panama Canal, settlement of the Hawaiian Islands by Americans, and the expansion of American industry were all enabled by US Imperialism from 1890 to the 1940's. I'm not condoning the loss of human life; but rather am pointing out that there was a coherent and intelligent foreign policy in place that put American industry first. Today our government is still behaving in an imperialistic manner in the guise of interventionism. The media likes to portray America as the world's police that attempt to right wrongs. This point of view is false as it is a set of beliefs held by delusional hypocrites. The US now interferes in foreign matters by bullying weaker nations with our military. Instead of a long-term coherent foreign policy based on advancing America we now have career politicians killing people half a world away in order to boost their poll numbers for re-election. Post WWII America tried to divide the world with the Soviet Union which was a stupid foreign policy decision as Stalin had no intention of peaceful coexistence. The Cold War heated up after the fools in Washington D.C. realized how badly they screwed up. These same fools came up with the bright idea of buying off pro-American dictators to combat Soviet global expansion. The KGB recruited spies and insurgents and the blood flowed from proxy wars in "Third World" countries. Korea split into the north and south, Vietnam lost completely, the Bay of Pigs failure in Cuba, insurgencies in Latin America, and the US got its ass continually kicked until Reagan got a "victory" in Grenada. Pride seems to be the only logical reason for modern American Imperialism, but of course it's not politically correct to say America is imperialistic. As a nation America is too proud to admit the many mistakes that have led up to our justifications for spreading over 1 million soldiers across the globe to enforce bad treaties, support dictators who take our bribes, and prop up failed states that can't stand on their own. Our politicians style themselves as puppet masters playing on the global stage and yet most can't balance their checkbooks or remember to pay their taxes.

Reasons for modern US Imperialism:

Excessive Pride
Historical Ignorance
Ethnocentrism
Political Corruption in US politics
Apathy of voting age citizens
Mass Media acting as Propaganda rather than a check on government power

I could go on listing more reasons, but these are really excuses as there is no legitimate need for America to stick its nose where it doesn't belong. I would strongly prefer a strict isolationist policy that allows some latitude for dealing enemies who violate an agreed upon peace treaty.

[Vegascook]

Documentary on the US conquest of Hawaii. I wonder why the US doesn't annex Puerto Rico as a state too, especially since they want to become a US state?

There is some support within Puerto Rico for statehood, but most citizens there have a few logical reasons for remaining a territory. As a US territory they do not pay the income tax and are not obligated to levy taxes for the political apparatus normally associated with a state. If granted statehood taxes of all kinds would go up as well as the income tax coming into play. Additionally there is a high poverty rate in Puerto Rico in which most of the population subsists on welfare, Social Security, and section 8 housing when it's available. Hawaii voted in favor of statehood because as a territory it was administered by the military, namely the US Navy. The admiral that governed Hawaii prior to the Pearl Harbor attack was a known bigot in favor of establishing Jim Crow laws against the Hawaiians on their homeland. The Hawaiians obviously did not like living under military jurisdiction and the best way to decisively end it was becoming a US State with all the rights that go along with statehood. The US military came down much harder on Hawaii than it did on Puerto Rico. Hawaii's queen was forced to abdicate at the point of rifles and bayonets while Puerto Rico had no formal government opposing America.

[Winston]

Interesting documentary.

A World Without America

Description:

This feature length documentary debates the implications and consequences of US military involvement in the world today. From an isolationist nation at the end of World War One, the US today has bases in over ninety countries. No other nation has been able to project military power as the US does today. But is such an involvement sustainable? Despite its might, the US is shrinking in terms of population and economic power in relation to the rest of the world. So, what would happen should the United States leave the international scene, and become again a "normal nation", a republic, and not an empire? To find an answer to this question, director and producer Mitch Anderson embarked on an investigative trip on four continents. "The World Without US" is an in-depth investigation of how US foreign policy affects the lives of millions of people around the world. Future scenarios in the absence of the US intervention are well debated and substantiated by experts and ordinary citizens whose lives have been affected by the American presence in different regions. The film's main expert is Niall Ferguson PHD. Niall is very well reputed in the documentary world, he has co-authored many docs at BBC and Chanel4 in the UK and he's the author of several volumes on world history. He contributes on regular basis on a number of Current Events magazines in the US and Europe. "The World Without US" is conclusive, politically charged and opinionated, making for good drama while staying true to the facts and journalistic integrity.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEVqk-eAqy0[/youtube]