"Humanitarian Bombing"

[Annalee Newitz]

Given that the term "white man's burden" originates with the culture of British
imperialism, I think we can be certain that some moralizing was involved.  It
was somewhat similar to contemporary US rhetoric, actually--that idea that we
*must* go to the dark part of the European continent (isn't post-Soviet Eastern
Europe the "darkest" part of Europe?) and invade, although it's such a burden
and we're only doing it for their own good.

Annalee

Doug Henwood wrote:


> Anyone know how British imperialism represented itself? Did it wear a
> "humanitarian" cloak,  or is this a specifically American (moralizing)
> style? Was it more honest about "straight power concepts," as Kennan put it
> in that infamous memo?
>
> Doug

--
annalee newitz
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