The Walking Shadow of Imperialism

Reinaldo Grimán

C.I. 20154898

The walking shadow of imperialism

Imperialism can be defined as a special type of dominance of one collectivity, usually a nation, over another, and it is characterized by the military occupation of a nation by other. Whether for economic, nationalist, or humanitarian reasons, more powerful nations have often interfered with the affairs of weaker nations. These more powerful nations, including the
United States, Britain, and several European countries, have in the past exploited less fortunate ones for resources, capital, and knowledge. However the imperialism has no vanished from the world and in words of Mao Tse Tung “Yet, imperialism is still alive, still running amuck in Asia, Africa and Latin America”.

By the late 19th and early 20th century, Europe was expanding its borders. In an attempt to grow its economy and culture, Europe’s superpowers began to search for new soil. Africa was an easy target; it wasn’t politically secure and it wasn’t modernized. In addition, it had reliable soil which would enable Europe to produce cash crops. European nations began to pour into Africa, called the Scramble for Africa. Soon, Europe took control of Africa, taking raw materials and destroyed African culture. Imperialism is the one to blame for exploitation of people and materials, the destruction of traditional culture, and unnaturally dividing up the land which causes a bunch of problems down the road.

There is no doubt that imperialism has negatively affected the world and
European superpowers had exploited Africans and their raw materials, but sadly this is not the end of the story because at the present time a new Scramble for Africa is taking place among the big powers, this time for the oil and the diamonds in the continent. This new scramble for Africa is just another prove of how the imperialism is still alive.

The Diego Garcia Island depopulation, what consist on the secret expulsion of the entire population of the Chagos islands in the Indian Ocean by successive British governments, so that the principal island, Diego Garcia, could be handed to the United States as a major military base, is one of the biggest proofs of how the imperialism acts. Nowadays in pursuit of its war on terrorism and alleged terrorism, the US military is expanding into Africa and is striking secret pacts with regional powers like South Africa and setting bases in the African territory, a fact that could be compared with Diego Garcia Island event because if it is analyzed carefully we can realize that in a way the US is replacing the native people from their land under the pretext of protecting them.

Nelson Mandela said that “American imperialism is all the more dangerous because, having witnessed the resurgence of the people of Asia and Africa against imperialism and having seen the decline and fall of once powerful empires, it comes to Africa elaborately disguised.” (Mandela on U.S imperialism in Africa. 1950)

Although the Age of European Colonization was long gone, the legacy of imperialism is still alive and well, with a stronger character (that is, the pursuit of domination, exploitation, and oppression without maintaining an explicit colony as in the older days of European colonization). Western powers (especially the U.S., with smaller ones like the U.K., France, Italy, and others -- including Israel in the region) have long exploited multiple countries ineffectiveness for their own benefits.