Let's look at our country through the prism of the recent past. Colonialism, a product of European arrogance, was at it's zenith in the 19th century. All of Africa, except Ethiopia, was dominated by one of the European powers.

Regarding the indigenous peoples as inferiors, white man's burden required inflicting Christianity, on them, as well as subjugating them to secure the economic advantage of those who brought them religious enlightenment. Economic exploitation, captive markets, sources of raw material for newly emerging home industries in Europe's industrial revolution and rawpower were reason enough for white man's dominance, that and insufferable sense of inherent superiority.

India, the British Raj, served English interests, in preference to Indians, until 1948 as a huge captive market for English made goods. Gandhi finally caused enough international embarrassment to force England to leave. It has taken India half a century to begin to prosper for the benefit of it's people.

In Asia, China was exploited for centuries at cannon point by European powers, later by incursions of Japan in promoting its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Never has there been a shortage of euphemistic slogans to cover an exploitive motive.

The end of World War I resulted in a reshuffling of title to much of the colonized world, but new names such as Trusteeship did not much alter the reality of foreign dominance for the former colonies. The new era brought forth economic colonialism, where devices such as failed export crops brought economic disaster to the third world and made them permanent debtor nations. Military arms were used on occasion to enforce payments. The U.S. Marines were thus employed in Nicaragua, Honduras, and Haiti as a collection agency for U.S.economic interests. Africa and Asia were subjected to similar incursions by European arms in the service of their economic interests.

As the world enters the 21st century we are still trying to deal with the consequences of two or more centuries of unembarrassed exploitation of the weaker part of the world by the stronger. Now our corporations exploit the less developed countries as a source of cheap labor. Check to see where your shirts, pants, shoes and other garments are made these days. Check to see where your TV, stereo and major appliances are now manufactured. The made in America " look for the union label " is a thing of the past. Our economy has managed to export American jobs so we can import foreign made goods. Now our goods are made in countries with no labor movements, no unions and no concern for the condition of its working classes. The increase in profits benefit only the corporations, not the American worker nor the American consumer.

The latest twist in colonial exploitation is that Corporatism has become the new colonialism and the entire world (including the US) is vulnerable to its market manipulations, overwhelming well intended policies implemented by the U.S. and other Western governments.

Foreign assistance programs, the World Bank, and the beginnings of debt forgiveness are attempts to fix a disparity in living conditionsin a world where some countries have a plethora of billionaires while the poor of Haiti eat mud cakes when imported foodstuffs rot on their docks. Some time back during a discussion on the mounting US debt structure, Tom instructed this was merely "growing the economy."

When Gandhi was once asked what hethought of Western civilization, he responded , " It would be a good idea."

Publius