by Cameron Foster

Created on: July 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 25, 2009

Typical verbiage in the 21st Century is to blame Anglos for all of the historic atrocities associated with colonization. However, an honest examination of history shows all races and cultures guilty.

While there's universal agreement on the tragedies of the Spanish conquest of the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs, and of ancient Roman conquests, there's also plenty of guilt to go around elsewhere.

African tribes and nations have often attacked their neighbors and this continues today. Ancient Egypt is a fine example. The carnage which continues in Congo is a fine example of imperialism (its all about the diamonds) on a smaller scale. Persia has plenty of blood on their hands from the past too. The Mongols under Genghis Khan are still notorious in history for what they did. And what about Japan in World War Two?

The point to be made in this article is that imperialism is a sign of the barbarity of an unevolved social understanding of humanity.

Just as the American Founding Fathers saw the true meaning of freedom (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), peoples in time past and unfortunately even today saw/see the world in an us versus them paradigm.

Tribal loyalty is one of the most deep-rooted human traits which persist from our evolutionary roots. It's why something as mundane as a football game aligns one group against another; it's why soccer games in Britain can evoke riots. Who really gives a darn; it's just a silly contest! But these demonstrations of power pull us into a darker place where rational thoughts are trumped by instinct. This is what makes imperialism possible. Greed also helps.

So these underlying triggers are what make for demonstrations of the human animal. Imperialism is just another outgrowth of the superiority complex; in the case of European explorers it was largely justified by playing the Christian card of we're saving these savages from Hell.

It was a woefully hypocritical plank on which to stand considering that even as sincere missionaries were teaching the Bible to American natives, their cohorts were raping, plundering and murdering the families a few huts away. And of course witches were being burned at the stake back home even as the Natives recited Psalm 23.

Imperialism is a violation of the basic human right of self-governance and of individual liberty, which is what the founders of the Unites States wanted. It's not unlike the bully in 7th grade who, because he (or she) is bigger and stronger, exerts undue and unjust influence over the weaker and less equipped.

The final death of imperialism may never be achieved because we are a greedy species. Nearly everybody wants more and if they don't they are usually not in a position to make this policy.

While the scourge of imperialistic and colonial mentality may be denied today, it's the real reason the United States invaded Iraq: a superiority world view. While Saddam Hussein was a horrible man who deserved death, it would have been far better to give the Iraqis the weapons to do the job instead of involving U.S. troops.

By doing this, America has proven Imperialism is alive and well. Of course many Muslim countries are even just as, if not more, guilty of a conquering mindset. Driven by an illogical and hopeless religious belief system (I think all religions are bunk, but especially Islam), it's no wonder they could care less about individual liberty.

Imperialism can be rationalized just as stealing can be in the Robin Hood tradition. Only by reaching an acceptance of equality among all races, creeds and genders (religion needs to be given the heave-ho to help make this possible) will we ever dispense with this heinous practice.

Learn more about this author, Cameron Foster.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.