posted
Please correct the thread title to "should the US(A) colonise", because America is a continent and a physical geographical area can't really colonise.
Now, to the point:
No. no no no. Absolutely not. The US is widely criticised for it believing that it has the best management in the world, and that it is fighting to librate the world into the capitalistic world of democracy, helping the world. Now, I don't know how true or false that stereotype is, but there's something of truth in that sensation. I felt it when Iraq was invaded, I felt it when reading history books, and I feel it now.
I'm not blaming that culture, and I'm not against anyone who preaches without urge that his/her way (religion, governmental system, whatever) is the best and "why". But one thing is for certain: foreign compulsion is not very successful, very unethical and can backfire. If the United States colonises with the reasoning that it is bringing its form of utopian peace to the world (just like Nazi Germany and the USSR did) it will only mean that the nation's driving forces are those of ostentation, pride and self-confidence.
While this is a fine move, the age of colonisation is over. The US cannot "tame" the barbarian lands, and we've seen proof in Iraq, where it has been done the hard way. Also note that one of the things that made the US so dominanat is the decline of the British Empire, which was the focus a century ago. The British Empire failed because it provided the cultural framework and technology for its own noose.
If the US goes to colonise, the first step is to clear the land for settlement. We've seen that fail in Iraq, we've seen that fail in other places too. The Sun has finally set on the British Empire, let's not make that mistake (i.e. India, Pakistan, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, The United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Uganda, Kenya, Sri Lanka, etc) again.
Would you like another 04/07/1776 to happen? I'm telling you ahead of time - it won't work for long. France in North Africa (1950s), Germany in Europe (1940s), Austria in the Balkans (1900-1914), Russia in the Balkans (1850s), Turkey in the Balkans (1453-1923), Spain in South America (1503-1800s), Spain in the Benelux area (1580-1648), France in Iberia (1808-1814), England in Ireland (1200s-1921), Spain in Portugal (1580-1640), Europe in Africa (1500s-today).
Too many times, too many failures. And that's only off the top of my head. Not worth the hassle.
Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
It seems a little nitpicky to change it from America to USA. So far as I can tell, no one from any other country in north or south America refers to themselves as American, whereas AMERICANS, actually do. No one else even has America in the name of their nation, as the USA does, thus, the nitpickiness seems a little out there.
This is a fun discussion I guess, but I don't even see where the roots of it are. On the scale of evil colonizers of the modern world from industrialized nations, America ranks somewhere near last.
Jonathon Howard, clear land for settlement? Americans don't want to settle in the Middle East, or anywhere else. Part of the stereotypical view of Americans anyway is that they think America is the best, and that everywhere else sucks, so why would they clear land in a foreign crappy nation to go live there, when they could live here?
Besides, I think the best example of settlements causing violent uprising and reaction is Israel/Palestine.
America is fickle about its wars. In World War 2 we could stomach all the blood we had to, because it was a war of vengeance. In Iraq, it was a war of disinformation, and our threshold diminished. It'll be a few decades before another such war could be gotten away with, making this whole argument rather moot.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
America has already colonised most of the western world anyway, if not politically most definitely culturally.
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
I don't think it IS an option. Not one that most Americans are seriously or even half heartedly considering.
And come on, politically colonized the Western world? What are you on? The Western world says "No" and "Screw you" to America more than any other part of the world except maybe East Asia. You can't even USE colonized in that sense. Pick a random country, Britain, or France, did we invade them, force our cultures down their throats, and then post troops all over the place to suppress anti-American opposition to our culture?
American culture is so prevelant because of economics. Because for the fifty years after World War Two, our economy was in part, the most responsible for driving the world economy, and as a result everyone got twined with America's culture. If you guys want to go back in time and have us return to isolationism then fine, you take the consequences that come with it.
Why does the majority of people in the world act like America is out to intentionally stamp out the cultures of foriegn people? You don't like our culture? Fine. Do what China does and have the state monitor everything to make sure American culture doesn't seep into your lives. Somewhere along the way, parts of American culture were deemed desireable enough to meld with other foreign nation's cultures, and thus it happened.
I guess my post could be summed up in three words: Quit your bitchin'.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
Who's bitchin', Lyrhawn? I didn't say the US had politically colonised the Western world, I said it HADN'T, but that it has colonised the Western, indeed virtually the entire, world culturally. That may or may not have been intentional, but nevertheless it's happened. And I made no inference whether I saw that as a good or bad thing, so get off your high horse about "going back in time to isolationism" and the rest of us poor non-Americans suffering by having to put up with our own meagre cultures (which is the inference you're making). I happen to LIKE American culture. Don't be so damn sensitive!
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
I think it's time to find us a new solar system and start terraforming, before Earth-that-is becomes Earth-that-was.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
No, that isn't the reference I was making at all. My reference is that people chose to take the American culture into their own, so don't complain that it's there. We didn't force it on anyone, which would have been a type of colonization.
And it's hard not to be sensitive, when I rarely ever see anyone talking positively about American culture, and mostly see people lamenting the fact that it's so prevelant.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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posted
I'll give you my wholehearted support on the last point. I get sick and tired of hearing people criticise America while grabbing aspects of American culture with both hands.
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
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