Civil W5 Discussion
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The burden that the white races must hold help the non-white races in developing civilization is how the speaker interprets white imperialism and colonialism in ethical terms. The It encompasses a persuasive moral reasoning for American imperialism. White people’s burden is still widely recognized as a discriminatory rationale for Western dominance.
The piece indicates a lot about the European rationalizations of colonialism, whereby it was seen as highly necessary. The White Man’s Burden depicts white people’s subjugation of non-white individuals as their altruistic ethicalresponsibility. Based on the poem, this is being executed expressly for the benefitof the subjugated, rather than for one’s country (History Matters, n.d). The white race will put other people’s needs before its own, and white conquerors will strive for and pursue another’s an advantage. The non-white individuals will be exposed to the light.
According to the professor, Europeans were motivated by nationalism, national pride, and the desire for power against their rival nations that had extended to various parts of the world (The Chronicler’s Tale, 2021). The tremendous industrial powers fell in love with the idea of flying their national flags worldwide as their populations began to identify as British, German, and French strongly. The governments of Britain, France, Germany, and other European powers were pushed into the competition by nationalism, first within Europe and then globally. Imperialists were driven by nationalism to seize new colonies before their rivals could.
Based on his presentation, Professor Weber viewed colonialism as a bad thing. This can be evidenced by the examples he gave, which resulted from colonialism and colonial powers’ attempts to gain power. Childrenhad to work long hours in industries until they were so tired that they fell into the machines and were significantly hurt. Additionally, families shared their dilapidated living areas with animals.
I do not think the views from the poem have disappeared from western cultures. Instead, these views have manifested in other oppressive forms, such as racial discrimination and increasing power grabbing by nations from the west. A good example is the invasion of Russia in Ukraine.
References
The Chronicler’s Tale. (2021). The Western Tradition – Episode 44 – The Age of Nation States (1989). [YouTube]. Retrieved From: https://youtu.be/dLDq4O4VCRY
History Matters. (n.d). “The White Man’s Burden”: Kipling’s Hymn to U.S. Imperialism.” Retrieved From: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5478/
