Sunday, July 06, 2003
US Imperialism Not New
Cythnia Crossen offers interesting quotes regarding the
Spanish-American War of 1898, in her July 2 column
in the Wall Street Journal.
According to Crossen, "Over the next three years, some 4,000 Americans -- about 10 times the number killed in the war itself -- died trying to quell Filipino resistance. More than 200,000 Filipinos, mostly civilians, also died."
Here's a deipathic proclamation Republican Sen. Albert Beveridge of Indiana: "The Philippines are ours forever, and just beyond the Philippines are China's illimitable markets. We will not retreat from either. We will not abandon our opportunity in the Orient. We will not renounce our part in the mission of our race, trustee under God, of the civilization of the world."
And Crossen quotes President "McKinley, who had earlier confessed he couldn't locate the Philippines on a map "within 2000 miles," claimed, "there was nothing left for us to do but to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them." A policy of "benevolent assimilation," he called it."
My comment: Deipathic overtones here, n'est pas?
And what was civilization and Christianization like?
Crossen writes:
"Outmanned and outgunned, Filipino forces used guerrilla tactics, picking off U.S. soldiers in small skirmishes.
American soldiers responded by turning some areas of the country into 'a howling wilderness,' as Gen. Jacob Smith put it. Col. George S. Anderson conceded that American soldiers killed indiscriminately during raids on villages. 'Many men were shot as they fled,' he said, 'but they probably all deserved it.' "
My comment: Thank the gods for the peace movements and the camera. If it weren't for the unrelenting criticism from the anti-war crowd and other humanitarian
groups, the slaughter would be even less restrained. This is why Iraq Bodycount and others such activities are so important. So far the civilian dead in Bush the Second's Iraq war stands at 6,000 to 7,000.
Crossen lets us know there where some anti-imperialists back at the turn of the century also:
"Andrew Carnegie, arguing against the occupation, said, 'Our young men volunteered to fight the oppressor; I shall be surprised if they relish the work of shooting down the oppressed.' "
"Mark Twain also sympathized with the Filipinos, pitying them for having 'progress and civilization' foisted on them by the 'Blessings-of-Civilization Trust.' "
Cythnia Crossen offers interesting quotes regarding the
Spanish-American War of 1898, in her July 2 column
in the Wall Street Journal.
According to Crossen, "Over the next three years, some 4,000 Americans -- about 10 times the number killed in the war itself -- died trying to quell Filipino resistance. More than 200,000 Filipinos, mostly civilians, also died."
Here's a deipathic proclamation Republican Sen. Albert Beveridge of Indiana: "The Philippines are ours forever, and just beyond the Philippines are China's illimitable markets. We will not retreat from either. We will not abandon our opportunity in the Orient. We will not renounce our part in the mission of our race, trustee under God, of the civilization of the world."
And Crossen quotes President "McKinley, who had earlier confessed he couldn't locate the Philippines on a map "within 2000 miles," claimed, "there was nothing left for us to do but to educate the Filipinos, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them." A policy of "benevolent assimilation," he called it."
My comment: Deipathic overtones here, n'est pas?
And what was civilization and Christianization like?
Crossen writes:
"Outmanned and outgunned, Filipino forces used guerrilla tactics, picking off U.S. soldiers in small skirmishes.
American soldiers responded by turning some areas of the country into 'a howling wilderness,' as Gen. Jacob Smith put it. Col. George S. Anderson conceded that American soldiers killed indiscriminately during raids on villages. 'Many men were shot as they fled,' he said, 'but they probably all deserved it.' "
My comment: Thank the gods for the peace movements and the camera. If it weren't for the unrelenting criticism from the anti-war crowd and other humanitarian
groups, the slaughter would be even less restrained. This is why Iraq Bodycount and others such activities are so important. So far the civilian dead in Bush the Second's Iraq war stands at 6,000 to 7,000.
Crossen lets us know there where some anti-imperialists back at the turn of the century also:
"Andrew Carnegie, arguing against the occupation, said, 'Our young men volunteered to fight the oppressor; I shall be surprised if they relish the work of shooting down the oppressed.' "
"Mark Twain also sympathized with the Filipinos, pitying them for having 'progress and civilization' foisted on them by the 'Blessings-of-Civilization Trust.' "
Comments:
Post a Comment
