Modern Imperialism in the U.S. of A.

In the face of American imperialism over the past 30 years, many Muslim nations have fallen at the hands of the United States’ oil-greedy, faux-democracy-bearing, righteous, white, bastard politicians. As Taxi to the Dark Side discusses, much of the current “extremist” problem is due to American treatment of the Middle Eastern peoples. However, extreme torture is only a minor facet to this issue. As a documentary, I can understand why the film would only focus on such a narrow topic to capture and persuade audiences. But the problems with American militaristic imperialism reach far beyond torture and far beyond the era of the 2000s. Our influence on these oil rich nations goes back decades. American actions in the late 20^th century, for example, are directly responsible for the rise of religious extremism in the government of Iran today. In a review of author Stephen Kinzer’s Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, Susan Froetschel writes, “In 1953, the CIA overthrew Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh for the British, installing a dictator who had no qualms about welcoming foreign oil firms. That operation galvanized radical fundamentalists, who, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, orchestrated the 1978 revolt, and ‘their example inspired Muslim fanatics around the world.’"  The United States is also directly responsible for the rise of the Taliban – one of our main enemies today. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the US funneled money to insurgents in Pakistan without much direction of the money’s intent. These actions facilitated the birth of the Taliban. Froetschel writes, “ The Pakistanis used the money to build up the Taliban and destroy leftist, nationalist or secular movements. One Afghan warned, ‘For God's sake, you're financing your own assassins.’”

A man heckles Iranians demonstrating for Khomeni in 1980. 

US history is wrought with similar actions all across the globe. Following World War II, these actions reached farther and wider than they had ever before. Using similar tactics as the government uses today to paint Muslims as extremists, the US painted the Soviet Union as a threat to world democracy. I recommend acclaimed writer and activist Noam Chomsky’s book Deterring Democracy if this fact peaks a particular interest. The novel reexamines the Cold War as a catalyst for the rise in the power of the United States in the latter part of 20^th century. Chomsky argues that this new found power allowed America to exploit weaker nations in the name of maintaining national interests.

Our history with the Middle East is the most modern example of this power to which Chomsky alludes. Our exploitation has had serious consequences, however, contributing to the rise of hatred toward America. In an article titled “Obama Moves to Make the War on Terror Permanent,” renown journalist Glenn Greenwald recently wrote, “A primary reason for opposing the acquisition of abusive powers and civil liberties erosions is that they virtually always become permanent, vested not only in current leaders one may love and trust but also future officials who seem more menacing and less benign.” This is the exact pattern we’ve witnessed in the Middle East. The modern “anti-terrorist” campaign is propaganda to fight the very problems America created in the past.

The United States military industrial complex is the greatest threat to human rights in the modern era. For the past decade, the nation has flexed its military strength globally, with an intended focus on the Middle East in particular. America has painted the area as a land of religious extremists with an agenda to take down America. However, this current picture is not the true reality. I urge every reader to question this US government we’ve grown up revering. Realize that our influence on the world is tyrannical and exploitive.

Even our current president, beloved leader of your average middle class democrat, is guilty of serious war crimes and human rights infringements – all in the name of maintaining US power.

The cover of the May/June edition of Adbusters magazine. 

I’ll leave you with two thoughts. If you’d like to become more informed on US militarism and imperialism, these are two very relevant places to begin: the National Defense Authorization Act and drone strikes.