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Title: Mark Twain on Imperialism
Source:
historywiz.com
URL Source: http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/marktwain-imperialism.htm
Published: Dec 15, 1992
Author: Mark Twain
Post Date: 2006-12-15 21:04:14 by Destro
Keywords: None
Views: 176
Comments: 13
Mark Twain on Imperialism Mark Twain, The Greatest American Humorist, Returning Home, New York World [London, 10/6/1900] You ask me about what is called imperialism. Well, I have formed views about that question. I am at the disadvantage of not knowing whether our people are for or against spreading themselves over the face of the globe. I should be sorry if they are, for I don't think that it is wise or a necessary development. As to China, I quite approve of our Government's action in getting free of that complication. They are withdrawing, I understand, having done what they wanted. That is quite right. We have no more business in China than in any other country that is not ours. There is the case of the Philippines. I have tried hard, and yet I cannot for the life of me comprehend how we got into that mess. Perhaps we could not have avoided it -- perhaps it was inevitable that we should come to be fighting the natives of those islands -- but I cannot understand it, and have never been able to get at the bottom of the origin of our antagonism to the natives. I thought we should act as their protector -- not try to get them under our heel. We were to relieve them from Spanish tyranny to enable them to set up a government of their own, and we were to stand by and see that it got a fair trial. It was not to be a government according to our ideas, but a government that represented the feeling of the majority of the Filipinos, a government according to Filipino ideas. That would have been a worthy mission for the United States. But now -- why, we have got into a mess, a quagmire from which each fresh step renders the difficulty of extrication immensely greater. I'm sure I wish I could see what we were getting out of it, and all it means to us as a nation. Mark Twain in America Again, Chicago Tribune [New York, 10/15/1900] "You've been quoted here as an anti-imperialist." "Well, I am. A year ago I wasn't. I thought it would be a great thing to give a whole lot of freedom to the Filipinos, but I guess now that it's better to let them give it to themselves. Besides, on looking over the treaty I see we've got to saddle the friars and their churches. I guess we don't want to." "Then you're for Bryan?" "I guess not. I'm rather inclined toward McKinley, even if he is an imperialist. But don't ask political questions, for all I know about them is from the English papers." Mark Twain Home, New York Tribune [New York, 10/15/1900] Once I was not anti-imperialist. I thought that the rescue of those islands from the government under which they had suffered for three hundred years was a good business for us to be in. But I had not studied the Paris Treaty. When I found that it made us responsible for the protection of the friars and their property I changed my mind. Mark Twain Home, An Anti-Imperialist, New York Herald [New York, 10/15/1900] I left these shores, at Vancouver, a red-hot imperialist. I wanted the American eagle to go screaming into the Pacific. It seemed tiresome and tame for it to content itself with the Rockies. Why not spread its wings over the Philippines, I asked myself? And I thought it would be a real good thing to do. I said to myself, here are a people who have suffered for three centuries. We can make them as free as ourselves, give them a government and country of their own, put a miniature of the American constitution afloat in the Pacific, start a brand new republic to take its place among the free nations of the world. It seemed to me a great task to which we had addressed ourselves. But I have thought some more, since then, and I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. We have also pledged the power of this country to maintain and protect the abominable system established in the Philippines by the Friars. It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land. Source: From Mark Twain's Weapons of Satire: Anti-Imperialist Writings on the Philippine-American War, Jim Zwick, ed., (Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1992).
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#1. To: Destro (#0)
At least he can admit he was snookered and adopt another POV, one more in line with reality. Might be a working defination of sanity.
My favorite quote from the Spanish American War is just before it started when Hearst sent an illustrator to Cuba to take some photos and do dramatic drawings of the suppossed rebellion then raging against the heavy hand of Spanish rule. After several weeks of trapsing all over Cuba the journalist wired Hearst that there was no war or rebellion and that he wanted to come home. Heart then wired back "Please remain, you supply pictures and I'll supply the war." This country has a long history of being lied into wars that do nothing but drain the American taxpayer, center more power in DC, and enrich the parasites that swirl around it. And each of these utterly superfluous elective wars of Empire only serve to further push the definition of what are "the interests" of the United States and thus expand the potential for new enemies and new wars - all of which- not one- has a thing to do with defending this country in the slightest. But the truly sad part? The truly sad part is that DC actually has average Joe Dumbfuck in Toledo Ohio and Lincoln Nebraska thinking these "victories" are his too- that "he" is a part of this collective "we". As in "We" are in Iraq. Really? Ask Joe Dumbfuck next time you see him or hear him (he isn't hard to miss as there is usaully one, at least, in every office, on every job site and bellied up at every bar) how much money his last "Iraq War profit sharing check" was for? When he asks what check? Just say; EXACTLY, DUMBFUCK.
I made this observation to a friend over a year ago. When he called the US and her Middle east adventures an "Empire" I replied: "Really, we're an Empire huh? Well then, where are my rolls of silk, my barrels of wine, the chests overflowing with gold and jems, my swarthy skinned slaves, my women, and my 25 cent a gallon gasoline? Right now the only thing I get is a huge bill and a growing list of dead Americans!" Of course, my friend pointed out this the glorious new economy of ours, only the select few get to bask in the treasure the imperial legions being home. The proles get to do the dieing. He was also right when he said because of this they have to keep pumping the fear up so the sheeple at least see some kind of return on all the lost men and material. "Sure you're broke because your paycheck has been gutted by massive inflation and your son has PTSD, but we (the ever powerful FEDGOV) have saved you from having your wife and daughter forced into burqas and prevented Islamic paratrooper Divisions from raining down across the US like the Russians did in 'Red Dawn!'"
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
Hell- some idiot in Nebraska was quoted in a story about how the deep Red States still support the war in Iraq. This maroon actually said "Better to fight them over there than here in Nebraska." Now, how much of an effing retard does one have to be to actually think that his shithole Nebraska town is in danger of being attacked by Islamic Hordes or "sleeper cells" of terrorists? There is about as much a chance of an Islamic coming to his town to committ terrorist acts and make his wife wear a Burka as there is of Deer suddenly walking upright, attacking hunters, taking their guns and going on kill crazy murder sprees of Red State mongoloids. You mention "Red Dawn". Actually a great film- it pretty much perfectly explains the motivation of Iraqi insurgents right now fighting Americans. Now- that film had a modern soviet second generation military with central american allies invading the continental United States. The film went to some lengths to explain how this might be accomplished- plane loads of commandos coming in on civilian airliners- paratroopers- armored columns from a communist Mexico- other Soviet Armies coming down from Alaska. Yet- frankly- even that scenerio is simply not believable in the slightest and was mocked at the time by the usual liberals and for the wrong reasons. But at least- at least- it was NOT THAT FAR OUT OF THE REALM OF REALITY. IT WAS AT LEAST THINKABLE. You could accept the premise of the movie at least! But Islamic coming to make my mommy wear a Burka? The Reverend Ted Haggard (before being outed as a Meth snorting gay swinger) said his greatest fear- HIS GREATEST FEAR- was that his children would be raised in a United States taken over by Islamics! Now- help me out here? I assume Ted Haggard can read. I assume he isn't retarded. Just how does a grown man- who has enough mental capacity to control his own bowel movements come to say something like that and believe it? Comic books wouldn't come up with that scenerio. I don't get it. Americans must just be dumber- substantially dumber than their parents.
Hell- some idiot in Nebraska was quoted in a story about how the deep Red States still support the war in Iraq. This maroon actually said "Better to fight them over there than here in Nebraska." I read that. Even worse, the guy was a Nam vet. You think he'd know better. Even Reagan, who never served a day in his life, said that the greatest mistake the US could make during the cold war was to send conventional US ground forces to fight Soviet backed nations. Hence, why we only provided hardware (and the odd Spec-Ops team) to the Afghans and South Americans. You mention "Red Dawn". Actually a great film- it pretty much perfectly explains the motivation of Iraqi insurgents right now fighting Americans. Another good film was a TV series called "World War III." The plot was more beleivable for the cold war. Massive grain shortages rock the USSR so they send a commando team into Alaska to take a distant pumping station on the Alaska pipeline "hostage" and threaten to blow it up if the US doesn't send over tons of grain to the USSR. While the battle parts are small (Soviet Commandos vs Alaska National Guard Platoon) the best part of the film that applies to today takes place in DC and Moscow where in the end the hard liners on both sides take the Presidents of both nations out of the loop (The Moderate Russian President is killed by the hard liners while the US Generals act like the POTUS is just an observer to the events) and end up causing a Nuclear exchange at the very end. I don't get it. Americans must just be dumber- substantially dumber than their parents. I wonder. "The greatest generation" threw themselves into the meat grinder to save a nation (USSR) that had dedicated itself to the destruction of their very way of life. The Baby Boomers were left to pick up that mess in the cold war and got their belly full of war after Vietnam. And I sure as hell haven't found any speeches by the POTUS about how we have to give up some rights in order to fight the red menace. However, Gen-X is already in a "hell no we won't go" stage and the draft hasn't even come along yet. It seems that the old farts who are now no longer fit for military service seems to be the ones screaming "kick their ass and take their gas!" Go for it, gramps. Most of my generation is sitting this one out. Just because you were dumb enough to fight for a nation most people can't find on a map doesn't mean I want to throw my life away. There's plenty of tyranny to fight here at home. Doing a poll of most people around my age (20-30) I asked who fucked this country up more. Baby Boomers or the "greatest generation." Many times they look at me and answer "Both."
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
You make a good point about generations. But I come across many 20 and 30 something maroons who back these wars to the hilt. Their "conservatism" is a cheap militarism- a USA T-shirt.
Yes and no. The thing about Vietnam Vets is that for every Vet who got shot at in Vietnam- who fired his weapon in a fire fight in Vietnam- who truly feared for his life in combat in Vietnam- there are 5 whose "Big story" is about the time a mortar shell landed 250 yards away from him at the supply base he worked a fork lift on for a year and then went home. For every guy who saw a buddy killed in combat- there are 5 whose closest comparitive experience is seeing his buddy passed out in a Saignon bar with puke caked on his face. There are "Vets" and then there are Vets. There are many Vietnam "Vet" loudmouths who learned absolutley nothing from that war except how to wring every ounce of emotional worth out of their "rear with the gear" tours.
The only advantage is that the neocons of my generation, for all their bluster, won't be signing up any time soon to "spread democracy." And with no draft they are thankfully reduced to nothing more than an annoyance. My BOT of an aunt shuts up in a big hurry when I ask her if she plans to ship her daughter to sandy country when she turns 18 in a few years. (Thankfully the daughter is very strong willed and won't be going anywhere no matter what her mother thinks)
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
The "greatest generation", by far.
The "greatest generation", by far. "Greatest Generation" my ass! Without their complacency, greed and ignorance of the constitutional limits on the FedGov this country would be a different place. A country with borders, a country with real money that belonged to the people, a country that wasn't a plantation of slaves serving their FedGov master. Withholding, S.S., UN, The war on ******, Israel, U.S. Dept. of XYZ. It is inconceivable that one generation could do that much damage to the grand experiment by accident. Fuck Rosie the riveter and G.I. Joe. I read that long ago people of a far greater generation fought for freedom and resisted tyranny, even the tyranny of the majority.
That's why whenever I put it in a post I put it in mocking quotation marks. I call them the "greatest generation" in the same way I call a bomber pilot who bombs defenseless nations from 30,000 feet into dust "brave." I will have to exclude my grandfather though, near the end of his life he finally saw through the bullcrap and in a round about way said that his generation fought for nothing. Hehe, that RNC fundraiser that called him in early 2004 got a real ear full.
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
True they did more damage, but the fizzled out revolution of the baby boomers is still a great disappointment and a missed opertunity. All the thinkers and movers of the 1960's sold out and became money grubbing and FEDGOV worshiping Yuppies.
"The more I see of life, the less I fear death" - Me.
It's true. I can name a few.
"The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer."
#2. To: tom007 (#1)
#3. To: Burkeman1 (#2)
Ask Joe Dumbfuck next time you see him or hear him (he isn't hard to miss as there is usaully one, at least, in every office, on every job site and bellied up at every bar) how much money his last "Iraq War profit sharing check" was for? When he asks what check? Just say; EXACTLY, DUMBFUCK.
#4. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#3)
"Sure you're broke because your paycheck has been gutted by massive inflation and your son has PTSD, but we (the ever powerful FEDGOV) have saved you from having your wife and daughter forced into burqas and prevented Islamic paratrooper Divisions from raining down across the US like the Russians did in 'Red Dawn!'"
#5. To: Burkeman1 (#4)
#6. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#5)
#7. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#5)
Even worse, the guy was a Nam vet. You think he'd know better.
#8. To: Burkeman1 (#6)
You make a good point about generations. But I come across many 20 and 30 something maroons who back these wars to the hilt. Their "conservatism" is a cheap militarism- a USA T-shirt.
#9. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#5)
I asked who fucked this country up more. Baby Boomers or the "greatest generation."
#10. To: ImStillStupid, Pissed Off Janitor (#9)
I asked who fucked this country up more. Baby Boomers or the "greatest generation."
#11. To: Hmmmmm (#10)
"Greatest Generation" my ass!
#12. To: ImStillStupid (#9)
The "greatest generation", by far.
#13. To: Pissed Off Janitor (#12)
All the thinkers and movers of the 1960's sold out and became money grubbing and FEDGOV worshiping Yuppies.
---Henry Kissinger, New York Times, October 28, 1973
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