Imperialism's Bad Re-Run

From America’s (albeit wobbly) perch atop the global community, globalization is practically invisible. Apart from daily newspaper complaints about jobs outsourced or factories closed, Nikes and other fine Walmart products complete their endless flow into the country without notice or objection. From the vantage point of the twenty-first century, the lesson of the early 20th century was that imperialism was an immoral thing not to be dabbled in, especially not by freedom loving Americans. As evidenced by the rocketing popularity of George Orwell, modern countries like Britain and the US realized that they wanted nothing to do with their Imperialism pasts, replacing colonial control of regions such as India, the Philippines and China with representational government. This ushered in a new age of foreign policy (in which we currently reside) where the countries at the top are responsible for assisting those at the bottom by spreading aid and democracy. Not only does this mindset vaguely recall the “White Man’s Burdon,” now viewed as racist and imperialist, its screams hypocrisy. While we may not directly sanction oppressive foreign intervention, it happens right under our noses, both through covert operation and through globalization. Expansion of American corporations into former imperialist colonies like India and China may not have the same look and feel of old school 1900’s Imperialism, but it fits into the same basic structure. A powerful controlling group (in this case American corporations like GE, HP and Dell to name a few) uses their power to control local government in order to gain control of resources (talent and cheap labor wages). Globalization may be nearly unstoppable at this point, but its integral to establish a “smart globalization” based on fair environmental and labor laws so that the atrocities generated by the few controlling the many do not happen again.

I strongly believe than in analyzing the consequences of imperialism, many tend to shed light on the drawbacks while ignoring the benefits that have helped shape our world today. While I realize in many cases imperial governments have suspect moral frameworks and benefit unjustly from their presence overseas, the globalization sparked by early imperialism has improved lives everywhere in the long run when done in moderation. The initial effects in the colonized territory are often negative, as there is turmoil, confusion, and dissent among the natives that are being shown or forced into a new way of life. However, in the long run imperialism adds many things that we take for granted. Trade is helped, infrastructure is built, and cultures mesh over time. Exposure to the rest of the world stimulates new thoughts and ideas, and healthy competition makes everyone strive for something better. Without a significant European presence, much of the world would be far less developed than it is now. Roads were built, technology was introduced, and the lives of people living in developing countries would be very different today had imperialism never come about. Not only are there benefits in the developing countries, but within the imperial nation as well. Often there are natural resources in colonies, and this can aid the economy in a huge way. Colonizing new lands can be a way of asserting power and dominance on the world stage, and the competition of countries helps push innovation to new levels. In conclusion, while there are significant drawbacks to imperialism, there are also major benefits.