#6: Nineteenth-Century Imperialism: The Sun Never Sets on Bureaucracies
Western Imperialism (late 1800s) was basically nationalism on steroids. It drew (or forced) non-Westerners into the secular gospel of “Progress,” even as it unleashed upon them the terror of Western technology. Ominously, imperialism foreshadowed the terror Europe would unleash on itself in the 1900s. ARGUMENTS: Imperialism was caused by: (1) The myth of "Progress," which held that Western civilization was better than other civilizations and Westerners should spread it. (2) Bureaucracies, both governmental and corporate, which broke up and simplified morally and materially complex decision-making processes through globalization and specialization. (3) Abstraction, which aided bureaucratic power by reducing complex “real world” political, social, and economic problems to charts and statistics. (4) Control (the entire point of Imperialism!), which expanded Western state power beyond national borders. Imperialism was aided by: (1) Science, which asked very troubling questions (e.g., “What race is superior?”). (2) Technology, which made imperialism cheap and easy (e.g., barbed wire, dynamite, railroads). (3) Nationalism, which led European governments and businesses to compete for overseas territories. (4) Racism, which led government and business agents to believe they were superior to those they governed. Audio Credit: Jon Dexter
Western Imperialism (late 1800s) was basically nationalism on steroids. It drew (or forced) non-Westerners into the secular gospel of “Progress,” even as it unleashed upon them the terror of Western technology. Ominously, imperialism foreshadowed the terror Europe would unleash on itself in the 1900s. ARGUMENTS: Imperialism was caused by: (1) The myth of "Progress," which held that Western civilization was better than other civilizations and Westerners should spread it. (2) Bureaucracies, both governmental and corporate, which broke up and simplified morally and materially complex decision-making processes through globalization and specialization. (3) Abstraction, which aided bureaucratic power by reducing complex “real world” political, social, and economic problems to charts and statistics. (4) Control (the entire point of Imperialism!), which expanded Western state power beyond national borders. Imperialism was aided by: (1) Science, which asked very troubling questions (e.g., “What race is superior?”). (2) Technology, which made imperialism cheap and easy (e.g., barbed wire, dynamite, railroads). (3) Nationalism, which led European governments and businesses to compete for overseas territories. (4) Racism, which led government and business agents to believe they were superior to those they governed. Audio Credit: Jon Dexter