The Unseen Benefits from 20th Century American Imperialism

Throughout the history of our beautiful, misguided planet, since the rise of the first predominant political-military power, the various ethnic groups inhabiting the surrounding regions invariably grew resentful of ruthless exploitation, cultural imposition, and merciless abuse. Deeply ingrained acrimony inevitably emerged and unavoidably turned into open hostility vis-à-vis the escalation of tyrannical and excessive measures whereby local elites were either eliminated or assimilated, valuable resources appropriated while the general population were oppressed and enslaved.

These vile patterns of political, social and military manipulation have been documented in a wide variety of historical documents in virtually every continent, ranging from Toltec, Egyptian and Roman Empires into the relatively recent Islamic, Iberian and Northern European Kingdoms of the Renaissance and Neo-Classic periods. Yet, ever since the emergence of the liberal concepts of Individualism and Liberty within the British Empire, at the height of Imperial expansion, sophisticated principles of human rights emerged across its vast domains. Most notably, such principles became so significant within its thirteen North American colonies that, when formal political independence was secured, these united states gradually became not only stronger and wealthier, but also a beacon of Liberty and an inspiration to revolutionaries, thereby emerging as an admired global power of a different sort, with noticeably distinct patterns of dominance.

Unlike its imperial predecessors, the United States of America has avoided exerting direct administration over most regions falling under its sphere of influence, and endeavored to play the role of a benign and detached overseer, while providing significant financial and military assistance without necessarily maintaining actual troops in order to flex muscle to protect its national interests. As outlined by the brilliant eighteenth century military strategist Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz (1780 – 1831) – Officer of the Prussian Army, Historian, and Military Strategist – International Politics were previously defined strictly as a natural extension of Military Conflicts, undoubtedly the case of Spanish, Dutch and British colonial might. Yet, the rising American imperialists, from the outset of their active involvement in global politics, have demonstrated a remarkable ability to take such principle even further, whereby international economics and financial preponderance actually become an extension of International Politics thereby expanding the levels of their engagement to reinforce overall supremacy, while also providing collective security.

America’s rising wealth and increased military power invariably further ensured its super power status thereby setting off enormous benefits, but with the cost of unexpected bereavement, due to an intangible glamour that transformed its society into a source of either envy or reproach, and a scapegoat for several global issues. Because it became a target of local resentment, international scrutiny and, ultimately, unprecedented hatred within radical segments of distinct totalitarian states, many Americans were suddenly unable to match their values against an unsavory, newly acquired reputation. In essence, the resulting amalgamation of various levels of international antagonism gradually depreciated America's reputation, thus triggering the onset of its current political and economic decline. Perhaps because of their traditional self-image as "fair citizens" of a classless democracy, Americans were never intended to become any sort of imperial overlords, compelled to frequently bypass their Founding Fathers’ noble principles when dealing with inherently corrupt and authoritarian rulers. As a result, the United States of America has inevitably found itself caught up in a vicious web of international intrigue, suspicion and espionage, the resolution of which required embracing ruthless, arrogant and even sporadically cruel schemes in order to secure fundamentally indispensable political and/or military goals.

Notwithstanding its uncomfortable list of reprehensible deeds, when analyzed under the prism of historical imperialistic behavior, the United States easily emerge as the most liberal, permissive and tolerant of all World Powers; for it contributed, for the most part, to the expeditious development of freer, wealthier and healthier societies within its overall economic space. Moreover, by extending a wide network of financial and military facilities in order to enrich and protect its unexpected empire, the governing polities in Washington DC were required to spend incalculable sums in foreign aid, loans and investment, while also extending a vastly complex defensive umbrella throughout its protectorate, thereby automatically affording the necessary climate of peace and security for the continued socio-economic development of its various national components.

Consequently, as it disbursed vast quantities of resources worldwide, to the point of virtually compromising the soundness of its own economy, the United States of America has successfully deterred (and at times prevented) the advance of totalitarian ideals emanating from the extremities of the political spectrum, encouraged international trade – triggering the globalization of the world economy – and guaranteed our collective liberty and financial welfare.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE - DREAMING OF AN IMPERIAL (ROMANTIC) 21st CENTURY

The absurd, unsuitable, and overwhelming weight of a technological, fast paced existence within any major metropolitan Western center during the 21st Century is nearly intolerable for the few remaining romantic souls who long for the simplicity of life during the early days of the industrial age… Gadgets, circuits, connections and speed not only twist but also infect the human condition by insulting its very nature… Indeed, nearly every issue appears exceedingly disagreeable, distasteful and/or distressing; at best the entire landscape of modern urban society emerge as a rather unappealing experience, which unquestionably triggers or exacerbates the overall sense of “malaise”, fear, and great discomfort afflicting millions of unwitting victims everywhere today…
For those who worship the Past, most events and nearly all issues currently endured by most metropolitan citizens would indubitably have been signficantly assuaged in case the noble Houses of Windsor, Romanov, and Habsburg were still in charge of their respective monarchies today, and had never lost their grip on power (naturally I have deliberately excluded the Prussian Hohenzollerns for trouble would always have emerged in some nefarious fashion from Berlin - if any Kaiser is permitted to consolidate power over the entirety of Germany – as opposed to remaining confined to the much smaller Prussian Kingdom – unless of course inevitable serious “issues” were somehow much earlier addressed during a Major European conflict – a “War of three Emperors between 1870 and 1885 - concluding with the complete defeat of the Prussian forces, as opposed to our historical World War I in 1914). In such an “alternate world” the United Kingdom (along with France under Napoleon III) would have financed and supported the Russian & Austro-Hungarian empires (a Russia where the State Duma would have been permitted to function and an Austria where Archduke Rudolf would have been the Emperor) to defeat Prussia, thus preventing Otto von-Bismarck (who would have been executed) from creating a German state and further militarizing Prussia.

If these majestic Houses had not “fallen from grace” (which categorically would have also included a Orleans & Bragança sitting at the Brazilian Throne at the “Imperial Municipality of the Court – as Rio was once named), the current Islamic threat (rooted upon an insolvable Arab-Israeli conflict) along with the current financial chaos, which has brought our civilization to the brink of bankruptcy, would not have arisen. Indeed, because the 20th century would have been entirely distinct from what we learned from the History books (NO great depression – NO rise of National Socialism – NO independent Middle Eastern or North African states – NO Soviet Union –and a much less prominent USA) there would not have been any splitting of the atom in the 1940’s, nor any space travel in the 1950’s, transistors would not have been invented around 1960, while personal computers (let alone the internet) would have remained in the realm of Science Fiction...

Rather, we would, most likely, have been accustomed to pleasant, comfortable two-day long crossings of the Atlantic aboard magnificently furnished floating Airships from “Lufthansa, British Caledonian or Pan American; using elegant Rail Express Services to travel inside our respective continents; utilizing gracious metallic telephones that require Human Operators to make connections; and listening to Radio Broadcasts while sending one another telegrams...

If my dream scenario were to have come to fruition, Planet Earth would have been a much more agreeable place in 2009: much more peaceful, elegant and civilized than what we have in its stead…

THE RISE & FALL OF DOMINANT GLOBAL POWERS

According to ancient historical records, Sumer (located in southern Mesopotamia – a.k.a. the Cradle of civilization) is generally recognized as the earliest nation which successfully assumed a hegemonic position on Earth for a significant period of time. The Sumerians, however, were in due course eliminated by their exceedingly more powerful northern neighbors in Assyria, which, along with its successors in Babylon contested Egypt for role of super power for several decades. Likewise, these were replaced by Persia which ruled the overwhelming majority of all recognized territories of the era for quite some time. Yet, partly due to their inability to eliminate opposition and fully control all of the emerging Greek states, the Persians were eventually succeeded by the glorious the Roman Empire as the global dominant power; such prominent status became uncontested only after their successful elimination of Carthage during the Second Punic War; after which Rome hold sway over the entire “known world” for nearly seven centuries (an achievement which none of its successors has been, so far, capable of emulating).

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the (Christian) Byzantine and ultimately its successor (Islamic) Ottoman Empire became the commanding ruler of Western Civilization in Constantinople (now Istanbul); thus becoming the sole shining beacon of knowledge, culture and sophistication for centuries (west of a far remote, isolated China) until the emergence Islamic Caliphates of Cordoba and Baghdad. Together, these Islamic Super Powers (standing in sharp contrast with its modern counterpart) upheld and further developed all knowledge rescued from a brutalized Medieval Europe, which had regressed into the darkest pits of barbarism under the powerful grip of dogmatic catholic oppression.

Due to the influence of its progressive neighbors in Cordoba, Portugal eventually come to light as a major Maritime Power, often perceived as the first sign of a re-emerging Europe after centuries of Medieval “darkness”, the bold, adventures Portuguese, the first European navigators to venture beyond the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean and circumventing the African continent, also epitomize the earliest signs of independent thought, thus laying the foundations of a very long, valiant struggle of Science and “Reason” against the dogmatic religious intolerance of the oppressive catholic church…

With the upsurge of the Italian Renaissance and the following Neo-Classical era, the world witnessed the rise of Spain and France as the prevailing Sovereign States on planet Earth, despite the remaining nefarious influence of the Catholic Church in both royal courts at Madrid and Paris. Due to the efforts and sacrifices of many heroes, the Spanish and French explorers were capable to start disseminating relatively free artistic marvels, early scientific discovery and even the some of the earliest examples in Freedom of Expression (a quintessential western trait), while at the same time plundering the resources and victimizing the natives of the vast new territories in order to solidify their role of Dominant World Powers.

At the close of the Seventeenth Century, following a long, bloody epoch of religious conflicts, the development of Political Philosophy along the concept of “Liberty” enabled the British Empire to surface as the third Global Super Power (following Rome & Spain). Despite its inevitable blunders in terms of socio-economic exploitation, the relatively benign British Imperialism along with a significantly less intolerant Anglican church, spread the seeds of “freedom” and “representative government” whereas establishing the foundation for a world where Slavery became illegal (1806).

Similar to its historical predecessors, at the dawn of the Twentieth Century, the gradual decline of Great Britain as the World’s main power was further exacerbated, notwithstanding its enormous wealth, naval force, and sizable colonial territories. Yet the highly sophisticated British ruling classes were self-delusional in their inability to recognize the upcoming downfall until compelled to face reality, immediately after the Great War (1914-18), given the overwhelming losses sustained and subsequent economic deterioration.
As a result of direct assistance from the United States of America, which had been gradually flexing muscles in the background since the 1870’s, the United Kingdom managed to avoid financial melt-down; but was rapidly replaced as Global Leader by its very economic-military rescuers, notwithstanding the American refusal to partake in the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919. Nevertheless, Washington’s newly enhanced global status was soon diluted by the emergence of Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1945, when the American government was compelled to share such prominent role with its “former allies” after their combined victory against the Axis Powers.

Although the former Soviet Union and the United States ruled supreme during most of the previous century, analogous to their historical predecessors, both nations inevitably witnessed their decline, in spite of opposing ideologies. Whereas the USSR suddenly crumbled in 1991, when their “union” disintegrated and their “colonies” were lost, the USA’s fall from grace has been significantly more gradual. Yet, regardless of a brief period of “revival” during the Reagan & Clinton years, I daresay that the tragic historical events that transpired on September 11, 2001 are bound to be eventually identified by future historians as the official benchmark closing the “Era of American Predominance”.
Nearly identical to the backstage upsurge of North America during the late Nineteenth century, in “copy-cat” format, the People’s Republic of China appears to be “setting the foundations” to make its claim in the prominent role of World Super Power, as it has been aggressively poising itself as the next Global Leader – yet, I daresay the Chinese Communist Party does not seem to be moving along in the same discrete fashion as its predecessor, exactly one century ago.