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USA as an Empire

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ruveyn
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06 Sep 2010, 9:33 pm

Sand wrote:
The point of an empire is not to enslave and dominate a country but to infiltrate it's economy and culture and add it to the wealth of the conquering country so that both the conquerors and the conquered gain by the process. The USA, like other incompetent conquerors such as Russia and Nazi Germany have destroyed much of the potential of the dominated countries and thereby made the process a losing game. All humans have potentials, both good and bad and when the creative and productive qualities are developed, everybody gains.



Tell that to the Power Trippers who think it is their destiny to command others.

The people who grasp your principle are precisely the ones who have no great desire to govern or rule others.

ruveyn



iamnotaparakeet
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06 Sep 2010, 9:56 pm

I think that overall, the lasting effects of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America have been primarily beneficial. Not completely though, but it seems a lot better than the constant human sacrifices and other things which would be highlighted with a magnesium flare if a Christian performed such acts. The method of Pizarro is nothing to be proud of, and Cortez was just slightly better than Pizarro, but the long term effects of the conquests done by these men seem to be beneficial, although I'm sure there are some who'd argue the opposite just due to hating Western culture in general.



Sand
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06 Sep 2010, 10:09 pm

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
I think that overall, the lasting effects of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America have been primarily beneficial. Not completely though, but it seems a lot better than the constant human sacrifices and other things which would be highlighted with a magnesium flare if a Christian performed such acts. The method of Pizarro is nothing to be proud of, and Cortez was just slightly better than Pizarro, but the long term effects of the conquests done by these men seem to be beneficial, although I'm sure there are some who'd argue the opposite just due to hating Western culture in general.


What can I say? Ignorant and stupid and vicious and prejudiced makes a weak attempt at it but perhaps it would have to do. I must qualify my comment as applying only to the concepts and not to the individual who made them who must be noted for his excellent intellect, general understanding of modern science, and as not being a parakeet. What I suspect he is is of course is something of a mystery since not being a parakeet leaves a wide possibility for speculation.



ruveyn
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07 Sep 2010, 3:13 am

iamnotaparakeet wrote:
I think that overall, the lasting effects of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America have been primarily beneficial. Not completely though, but it seems a lot better than the constant human sacrifices and other things which would be highlighted with a magnesium flare if a Christian performed such acts. The method of Pizarro is nothing to be proud of, and Cortez was just slightly better than Pizarro, but the long term effects of the conquests done by these men seem to be beneficial, although I'm sure there are some who'd argue the opposite just due to hating Western culture in general.


The effect of the Spanish conquista of the Americas was to keep the benefits of the Protestant reformation away for a long period of time, during which the subjugated peoples of the conquesta were denied the benefits of capitalism and the industrial revolution. In effect, the Spaniards extended the lifetime of fuedalism, but in South America, not Europe.

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iamnotaparakeet
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07 Sep 2010, 4:05 am

ruveyn wrote:
iamnotaparakeet wrote:
I think that overall, the lasting effects of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America have been primarily beneficial. Not completely though, but it seems a lot better than the constant human sacrifices and other things which would be highlighted with a magnesium flare if a Christian performed such acts. The method of Pizarro is nothing to be proud of, and Cortez was just slightly better than Pizarro, but the long term effects of the conquests done by these men seem to be beneficial, although I'm sure there are some who'd argue the opposite just due to hating Western culture in general.


The effect of the Spanish conquista of the Americas was to keep the benefits of the Protestant reformation away for a long period of time, during which the subjugated peoples of the conquesta were denied the benefits of capitalism and the industrial revolution. In effect, the Spaniards extended the lifetime of fuedalism, but in South America, not Europe.

ruveyn


That could said to be true during the times when the Spanish crown was given tribute, however as for approaching modern times at the very least the increase in technology was beneficial if not also the decrease in lives lost to appease "the dark mirror which smokes".



Cliffracerslayer
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07 Sep 2010, 3:53 pm

Sand wrote:
The point of an empire is not to enslave and dominate a country but to infiltrate it's economy and culture and add it to the wealth of the conquering country so that both the conquerors and the conquered gain by the process. The USA, like other incompetent conquerors such as Russia and Nazi Germany have destroyed much of the potential of the dominated countries and thereby made the process a losing game. All humans have potentials, both good and bad and when the creative and productive qualities are developed, everybody gains.


The conquered never gain from being conquered. The conquered gain from conquering.

The point of an Empire are these (and they are entirely selfish).

1. To expand the range of the property ownership of the imperial elites by depriving others of property.
2. To create lots of positions of political power to be shared out among the imperial elite.
3. To impose the ideology of the Empire (religion, philosophy etc).

As such, the American 'Empire' only really fails on the second basis. But they have NATO and such-like I suppose.



iamnotaparakeet
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07 Sep 2010, 3:57 pm

Cliffracerslayer wrote:
But they have NATO and such-like I suppose.
...



ruveyn
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07 Sep 2010, 5:02 pm

Cliffracerslayer wrote:


The point of an Empire are these (and they are entirely selfish).
.


See Monty Python: The Life of Brian. Pay close attention to the scene: What have the Romans done for us?

ruveyn



iamnotaparakeet
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08 Sep 2010, 1:41 am

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWfh6sGyso[/youtube]