Imperialism Creep: How Empires Justify Further Conquests
Learn how empires have mindfucked themselves into believing that imperialism is anti-imperialism. Find out why further conquests are justified by the lurking threat of other empires, and why "We must conquer or be conquered" is the thinking.
Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦
Writes about economics, tweets about rabbits. For serious opinions/analysis, read my blog: https://t.co/KfUxUlCYPz
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These guys have mindfucked themselves into believing that imperialism is anti-imperialism. pic.twitter.com/jszI2gTem0
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023 -
I think I'll call this "imperialism creep".
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023
First you tell yourself that your empire's conquests are just defending its rightful territory.
Then you tell yourself that some further conquests are necessary to establish a robust defensive perimeter.
Etc. etc. -
Always, further conquests are justified by the lurking threat of other empires out there in the dark, always meddling, always stirring up hate against your (good, virtuous) empire.
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023
"We must conquer or be conquered" is the thinking. -
Eventually, this cultivates an attitude of "might makes right", especially after initial military successes.
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023
The idea of defending against external attack gives way to the idea that we live in a "dark forest" where the strong conquer and the weak perish. pic.twitter.com/cQ5pHw4P6J -
Any opposition to your empire and its conquests, internal or external, is assumed to be due to the nefarious meddling of enemy empires.
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023
Your own empire is always assumed to represent the Forces of Light. Conquered peoples always love you and view you as a liberator. -
This transition from persecution complex to amoral imperialism is facilitated by the perception of a global power vacuum -- of "great changes unseen in a century", in which one empire or another will ultimately prevail, and so it had better be your own empire that prevails. pic.twitter.com/FERIOWE8BN
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023 -
Once begun, this cycle of empire creep can only be stopped by external failures -- failed occupations, or (more typically) battlefield defeats.
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺🇦 (@Noahpinion) March 29, 2023
Russia is now at an advanced stage of this cycle, while China is just ramping up.
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