There’s a very interesting series of articles on the BBC’s site asking whether the United States is an empire. The answer (yes!) seems clear to me, but there are good arguments on both sides. Be sure to check the reader comments at the bottom of the articles.
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Yes, it’s an empire, and we have The Madness of King George on the OTHER side this time (ours)… Let’s see how history repeats itself.
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Mike, I only read part 2 of the BBC report so I am not going to critique the whole report. I am going criticize the use of Cuba as an example of America’s imperialism.
In the story it states “Isolation and poverty, they say, has done more to prop up Cuba’s regime than communist ideology [U.S.’s embargo] ever could. “ I disagree. Although I feel the embargo is a failure Fidel Castro is the primary reason Cuba affairs is what it is. Concerning isolation Cuba is free to trade with any other country in the world. The fact is it does not fulfill it financial obligations and contractual responsibility with other countries. These countries are turning their backs on Cuba. Concerning poverty it is the 2-tier economic system that suppresses the lives of the citizens. While ordinary citizens have to rely on remittances from family abroad, eat their pets for food and try to survive on the black market, tourists are lodged at 5 star hotels (where Cuban citizens are not allowed), wined and dined at the finest restaurants (where Cuban citizens are not allowed) and party at some of the finest nightclubs (again where Cuban citizens are not allowed). Don’t believe me…ask my sister…she went to visit our family and while there she was allowed in certain places while my cousins who live there were not. The Cuban government treats their own citizens as second class citizens.
In February 22, 2004 Parade Magazine article, “The World’s 10 Worst Dictators”, Fidel Castro was listed at the ninth worst dictator in the world.
Personally I did not need a magazine article to tell me that…I have my parents (who fled in the 60’s), recently arrived relatives and current relatives still living in Cuba tell their stories about the hardships in Cuba.
Is America imperialistic? Maybe, but I feel to use U.S. current policy towards Cuba as an argument is wrong.