Cristobo,

Samuel Clemens penned statements related to imperialism from about 1895 on. If you want the whole scope of what he meant, I suggest you read; To the Person Sitting in Darkness, which he penned after the U.S. became involved in the affairs of the Phillipines, during the Spanish/American war. In it, he describes the U.S. taking a page directly out of the book of European nations. We should have left the garrison of Spanish soldiers which numbered about 10,000, to the Filipinos, instead of taking action ourselves. I agree with his statement to that effect, but read the entire statement he made in the aforementioned writing. It wasn't an indictment against the U.S. anymore than it was an indictment against Europe.

Do I agree with what he wrote? Yes. But I'd also mention that was 100 years ago, and dealt with a completely different world. To dig this up as a "cause celeb" related to Iraq is a mute point. If you read his work carefully, one of the things that bothered him most is the religious implications of that era. I don't recall any of us indicating that we are on a "crusade" in Iraq.

I too am anti-Imperialist. Most of us are. Please tell me how you see the intentions of the U.S. in Iraq as being imperialistic? I'm dying to hear this one.

Wolf