Imperialism refers to the colonization and control of weak countries or states by the big fish. It has been seen among countries in the earlier regime and in the current regime. In this article, I seek to compare how different writers have put across this idea of imperialism and its effect on the rest of the world. I will take into account the idea of P.T. Bauer in his article, “The Economics of Underdevelopment”, Robert Kaplan, and “In Defense of Empire”; in comparison to Mike Davis’ “Late Victorian Holocausts”.
P.T. Bauer is an economist who believes that the underdevelopment of the third world country is neither a responsibility of the Western countries nor the neo-colonialism.1 He states that poorest and underdeveloped states have no economic connection with the Western countries, that they are responsible for their fate. That there suffering and the situation can neither be explained by colonial control nor international social stratification. It may not be right for the comparison of the per-capita income of countries in Western countries and those in the African Countries indicates less per capita income in African Countries. However, the countries that have lower income in Africa are those that are less affected and controlled by the Western countries.
P.T. Bauer shows that the third world is to blame for the Inequality, that some of the poorest countries have never been colonies of the Western countries. He even gives the example of Tibet, Nepal, Liberia and Ethiopia. He goes forward to show that the Western countries are the contributors to development in some of the African countries. They have brought good infrastructure and health.
However, Bauer accepts that there are two ways in which Western countries have contributed to the poverty in the third world countries. First, that Western activity since the World War 2 have politicized economic life in the third world countries hence allowing state-controlled economies and totalitarian countries. Moreover, Western influence has reduced mortality rate, therefore increasing the population to an unmanageable level and increasing the number of poor people in the African states. Bauer goes forward to give the instance of South Africa that has been under the rule of the white until 1994 and is developed, although with a lesser educated population than Zimbabwe. While Zimbabwe with a well-educated population but is less developed although they have been under a one-man black rule since 1980. It is an indication that the European domination is not responsible for the underdevelopment of the African Countries.
Kaplan, another writer, also gives his idea about the imperialism and its effect on the rest of the world. Kaplan, earlier a supporter of the imperialism, comes forward to change his earlier support of the western influence.2 He supported the Iraq war but later says that the war was a mistake and even goes forward to express his regrets of supporting the war. He has written many essays on the US power that has sparked attention among many academicians and the media. Kaplan shows how states like the Britain have had the positive impact on the development of many countries in Africa. Kaplan is in full defense of the rule and control of the colonialists. He even calls it the peaceful reign of imperialism.
Additionally, he sees that the colonial empires were able to maintain peace in the less developed and quarreling countries. He shows a blind and sincere support of the imperialist’s action to the less able countries. His article is horrifying as it defends the big empires that continue to settle and misuse resources in the poor countries. He mentions post-imperialism such as the control of the USA to many countries, calling wars and influencing the election. These are wrong ideas that Kaplan and other fellow writers have passed around the world. Imperialism has had an adverse effect to the less fortunate countries. Otherwise Kaplan goes forward to support the actions of the imperialist. As we can see, Kaplan is being used as a puppet of the United States government in order to use his writing skills and eloquence to support their evil deeds.
Kaplan does not see the slavery the Western countries are doing to the third world country, He only writes to satisfy the need of the western countries to convince the Third world countries that they are at peace. He defends America that it is not powerful enough to do what people are claiming that they are responsible. The name of his article, “In Defense of Empire” is an indication of a guilty party that is seeking advocacy and protection. He writes for the Western Country, which is the United States in particular. The US is aware of its responsibility in the destruction of the African countries and takes defense. It is clearly seen that the various war in the Third world countries is influenced and even financed by the Western Countries. With wars in action, then fewer developments can take place. Instead of people in the poor countries participating in development economic activities, they find themselves taking part in these wars encouraged by the Western domination. It has hindered development and is a clear show of how the Western countries have perpetrated imperialism and affected many countries in the Third world.
Another writer, Mike Davies has a different take on events. He firmly believes that the western influence has been and is currently the cause of underdevelopment in the Third world countries.3 He sees the various adverse impacts imperialism has had to the Third world countries. He says that, before, the colonial rule was responsible for the war in their colony countries and prevented development.
In his article, “Late Victorian Holocausts, Davis shows the connection between imperialism and global climate change. He gives an example of the EL’Nino famines and the making of the Third world. He follows different global climate patterns, basing on the El Nino- Southern Oscillation (ENSO). With his study of different faces of ENSO, he can show the effects of colonialism and the rise of capitalism in connection to famine in particular. He argues that many people died in the process of forceful becoming part of its economic and political structure. He shows how people die under the influence of liberal capitalism. He gives an example of how people were killed in the application of the highly held principles of Smith, Betham, and Mill.
His book follows the effects of imperialism and the emerge of capitalism during El Nino-Southern Oscillation and famines between 1876 up to 1902 in Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, India and New Caledonia. He shows how imperialism and colonization of the Third world countries by the imperialists such as the Western countries and Britain resulted in poverty and hunger in the rural areas. Moreover, the economic policies introduced by the imperialists led in famine and underdevelopment. He concludes that Laissez fair and Malthusian economic policies led to the famine that claimed the lives of more than 30 million people. Davis blames the actions of the imperialists on the underdevelopment of their colonies.
The study of these articles has given a clear summary, of how imperialism has affected the third world countries and made them weak as it builds the economy of the big fish. Those who support imperialism are the result of controlled writers that are paid to defend the imperialists.
Bibliographies
Davis, M. Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World, London, 2001.
Kaplan, Robert D. Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea, Vintage, 2003.
Footnotes
1 – M. Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World, London, 200, p.23.
2 – Robert D. Kaplan, Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea, Vintage, 2003, p.9.
3 – Robert D Kaplan. Surrender or Starve, p.15.