Imperialism Is Still a Problem

Imperialism is a type of economic exploitation that has been very prevalent in the last three centuries. Imperialism could be simply described as the theft of resources of one country by a much more powerful country. It usually happens after a nation has expanded and conquered its land. The capitalists in that nation look for other markets to dominate, and so they expand.

Moreover, the consequences can be seen in world history. Imperialism is why nations in Africa and nations in Europe aren’t the same. One region has been historically economically exploited by imperialists and colonialists for decades. The other was the one doing the exploiting. Put simply, it is easy to get rich as a nation if that nation steals the wealth and resources from another nation.

Modern Imperialism

Imperialism isn’t just a thing of the past either. Imperialism is still very much alive and well in the modern age. One may be familiar with the jokes that America will go after any country with oil. This meme is for the most part true. America will (and has) go after countries with key resources like oil and cobalt. There have been instances of imperialism within the modern age. The American government was in Afghanistan for more than 20 years. There were multiple reasons why the US was in Afghanistan, one of them was the fact that Afghanistan had a large oil supply that could be stolen.

Tactics of Imperialist Aggression

This isn’t just an American problem either. The entire world is dealing with this problem. The modern world is split into two factions. Nations that steal resources, and nations that are being stolen from. The problem has gotten so bad that entire regions of the world become exploited. The mighty wealth of the imperialist nations was paid for with the blood of the innocent and the destruction of entire communities.

Furthermore, imperialism is performed in several ways. The ultimate goal is economic exploitation. Put simply, it is the theft of resources. With that goal in mind, nations like the United States of America could interfere in foreign elections. They could just outright physically dominate that nation in war. A nation like America sometimes prefers not to get its hands dirty and just drone strike the nation. All of these methods usually end up in civilian deaths.

Subjugation and Pain

Furthermore, when any of these methods are successful, the imperialist nation then fully subjugates the other nation. An imperialist nation might set up a deal where the subjugated nation gives its resources for a highly discounted price. Or they might try absorbing the subjugated nation into a neo-colony like America did with Hawaii. Ultimately, that nation is now under the thumb of another. An example of this process happening over some time could be America’s interactions with the Samoa islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii, all look like this.

Imperialism Proofed

Imperialism must be fought against by any means necessary. The nationalization of a subjugated nation’s resources is the first step in creating self-sufficient imperialism-protected countries. Nationalizing one’s resources means that they are less susceptible to private foreign interests. Another strategy is to increase the labor power of one’s country. Things like high rates of unionization, and high rates of education help fight against imperialism because ultimately a well-organized, strong, and organized working class is stronger than any imperialist force.

The Nuclear Option

Lastly, a nation that has nukes is a nation that can’t be messed with. Nuclear weapons are the great equalizer in modern geopolitics. Nations that have nuclear weapons fear that other nations with nuclear weapons will fire. People without nuclear weapons fear that nuclear weapons will be fired upon them.

Furthermore, the community of nations with nuclear weapons fears that one nuclear weapons launch could turn into a nuclear death for the whole planet. Therefore all aggression towards nations with nuclear options has a limit. The reason why is that no one wants to have their country nuked. So, if a nation fears that they may become a victim of imperialism they can try to advance themselves technologically and just build a few nukes. However, if every nation does this then it will be harder for the global community to let go of nuclear weapons. It isn’t a permanent solution, but it is an effective one.

Written by Kenneth Mazerat

Sources

Britannica: Imperialism by Brian Duignan

The Guardian: How the US has hidden its empire by Daniel Immerwahr

NPR: The History Of American Imperialism, From Bloody Conquest To Bird Poop by DAVE DAVIES

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Mobilus In Mobil’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

First Inset Image Courtesy of The National Guard’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License