A modern colonialism
Introduction
Since the time of Alexander the Great empires such as the Romans, the Moors, and the Ottomans, they had the practice of conquering and establishing colonies for their own benefit and supply of resources. However, it was until the fifteenth century that a name was given to the custom of political and economic domination of a territory by the government of a foreign state. This practice is called colonialism.
According to a study conducted at the University of the Arts and Social Sciences in Santiago, Chile, colonialism and imperialism were a consequence of capitalism. "Imperialism is called the expansive activity of the powers that had developed a capitalist economy". Such expansion sought to dominate new territories and install exploitation capitals in them. Colonialism and imperialism are two facets of the same phenomenon.
The development of production in large quantities was due to the increase in population and required growing markets and raw material sources. To obtain them, each industrial power tried to ensure the possession of territories (colonies), especially in Africa and Asia. This practice knew its peak during and after the discovery of America with the conquest, settlement and exploitation, by Europe to territories in America, the East and Africa. The empires organized the colonized territories mainly in two different ways, domains and colonies:
- The domains received a population that was installed with the objective of permanence in the territory. They possessed the ability to decide on their internal affairs although foreign policy continued to depend on London. The domains were specific to the British Empire. These were colonies to which a self-government system was applied. This was the case of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
- A colony are territories governed by the colonizer that implemented a government and administration. The colonies were suppliers of raw materials and lacked autonomy. It was the case of India and all African colonies.
- Within the colonies there were three different types:
- Possession colonies: which were those that served as support points, already in the military or communications aspect, served for the purposes of trade and the security of the empire. Example: Malta and Eden Island within the British Empire.
- Exploitation colonies: those whose purpose was to provide different types of resources, mainly raw materials, to the metropolis. Here the large companies used to settle and exploit the existing economic resources, using indigenous workforce.
- Population colonies: It was that they established a significant number of people from the metropolis as permanent inhabitants. Such were the cases of Canada and Australia.
This exploitation of territories in order to collect natural resources and raise labor allowed the expansion of the main empires and transformed the geopolitics of the world. As a consequence, it gave rise to events such as slavery, genocides, internal wars, separation of social classes, forced labor, land exploitation, disappearance of cultures and total sovereignty between the colonizer and the colonized. This effect can be seen today with the difference in power and the influence that exists between developed and underdeveloped countries. José Martí, the first great anti -colonial thinker who understood imperialism, wrote in 1884: “The conquerors stole a page to the universe!". He also explains that from the beginning colonialism was a business, "the most ruthless and comprehensive, the most opposite of well -being, dignity and deployment of the human condition and social coexistence that has been invented: capitalism". This definition based on business and capitalism is quite close to being the same as the concept we know today as neocolonialism today.
Developing
According to Professor Félix Briones of History and Geography of the University of Bío-Bío, the causes of imperialism and capitalism is mainly the need of countries to have safe markets for the enormous amount of goods they produced and, at the same time, obtain control of the sources of the raw materials required by the industry, at the lowest possible price. "In this sense, imperialism and colonialism are explained, ultimately, for economic reasons". Juan Carlos Medel, professor of Social History at the University of Sao Paulo explains that political reasons also influence. "Each industrial power required to be military and politically strong in order to maintain control over its colonial possessions, always coveted by the other powers". The colonial expansion served to strengthen from the geopolitical point of view to the power that belonged to it. Based on this logic, during the second half of the nineteenth century you could not be the first world power without practicing colonialism and imperialism.
All these empires share the characteristic of power thanks to the natural resources obtained through colonialism. Power was synonymous with economic wealth and a great military army, as well as influence in the world. Based on what Edward Said writes in his book Imperialism and Culture, of the colonial empires that formed in the Modern Age, the British Empire is the one that achieved the greatest impact. Managed to enhance his empire through conquests and annexation wars. We know that English school influenced by Halford Mackinder is based on the flourishing of English industry and commerce through maritime-military power of English navigation and domain on maritime and commercial routes. Based on Mackinder’s theories, the Empire acquired the following nations:
- In Asia: India, Burma, Malaysian states, Singapore, Ceilán, El Beluchistan;Subsequently, Hong-Kong, Shanghai and Canton with which he made an active trade.
- In the Mediterranean it had a series of possessions whose main purpose was to serve as a link with its Asian domains. For such purposes, the Suez Canal was built, opened in 1869 . The support points with which the British counted in the Mediterranean was the Peñón de Gibraltar and the island of Malta mainly.
- In Africa: in order to control the Suez channel, the British threw themselves into the conquest of Egypt, displacing the French influence that was considerable there . They also seized Sudan. They also colonized Orange, Transvaal, Natal, Cabo and Rhodesia with the intention of linking these possessions with their domains in the north.
- In America: Canada, Terranova, Jamaica, Guayana English, British Honduras (Belize), Malvinas Islands (Falkland) and English Guyana.
- In Oceania: Australia, New Zealand and numerous Pacific Islands.
Because of its extension and importance, the French empire was characterized as the second largest empire. The relationship between the French colonies and the way of thinking of Albert Demangeon, the author of the French school is evident. Albert gives importance to two fundamental issues: culture and natural resources. His goal is to influence the world through culture. The French school provides attention to the development of human behavior, and the amount of natural resources available to meet the needs as a way to recognize the prevailing geoculture. This is why we can see how French possessions still speak French.
- In Africa the French colonies were located on the Mediterranean coasts: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. In the western and central part of the continent: Senegal, Ivory Coast, Benin and Chad. From Napoleon III France began to conquer territories in Southeast Asia creating Indochina that is constituted by Vietnam, Tonkín and Laos.
- In Oceania, France established its dominance over a series of islands, among which new Caledonia stands out.
- In North America it colonizes islands on the eastern coast of Canada. Finally, in South America Haiti colonized and the French Guyana.
Unlike the previous two, the Russian Empire was characterized by its extension in Asian territory, mainly covering all those regions located east of the Urals. In his book, Edward Said specifies that "one of the priorities of the Zarils politics was to get influence in the Balkans and obtain an exit to the Mediterranean". We can see how the history of the geopolitics of Russia is based on the thought of Veniamin Semenov that explains that for Russian school, the geopolitically divides into: 1- The Mediterranean and Baltic Sea that bathes Eurasia. 2- Mar de Asia (the seas of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the seas of China). 3- The Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
With more interest in the African continent was the Belgian empire that covered the Congo basin, in the center of Africa . This colony was that of a free state under the sovereignty of the person of the Belgian King, but this was nothing more than a legal fiction since the Congo was subject to intense economic exploitation. This case can be related to the situation of Western Sahara today. At that time it was a Spanish colony and today, they are not a recognized nation and continue under the control of Morocco.
In central Europe, Germany and Italy were late empires. These two nations had a delay in the colonial expansion process because they were not unified until 1870. However, as Edward Said mentions in his book, “when this happened, most of the extra -centralinental territories had already been controlled by the most powerful empires. This forced an aggressive foreign policy ”. Germany managed to occupy territories in Africa as Eritrea and part of the coast of Somalia and then, in 1911, manages to snatch the Turks Tripoli and Cyrenaica. Italy obtained some sectors of North Africa. This aggressive policy represents the way of thinking of the German school influenced mainly by Friedrich Ratzel and its theory of vital space where it justifies the expansion or invasion of a State over others. A State must produce all its assets that it needs, otherwise it must absorb territories that can contribute to consolidate the great economy.
On the other hand there are the United States that especially during the second half of the 19th century, experienced great economic growth and enormous development of their industries. This generated the basis for its expansion reaching the Pacific. Then, in the north, the US government bought the Territory of Alaska (1867) from Russia (1867). Then, at the end of the US Century, its influence imposed on the Caribbean and Central America. According to Alfred Thayer Mahan, the main author of the American school, "Navy + Commercial Fleet + SUPPORT POINTS = Maritime Power". The Americans used the military strategic concept and had a trade objective, and their consumers were the colonies. In other words. An example is Cuba that after the Spanish -American war, she became a virtual American colony, the same as Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Then came the annexation of the islands of Hawaii and that of the Panama Canal. All these territories were used in wars as US support points. The economy and policy of Central America was influenced until today by US economic interests.
Birth of a modern colonialism
The development of colonialism and imperialism brought with it a series of events that over time adapt to the rules and the way of living today. The colonies are eliminated in paper and sovereignty is granted to nations but this is not entirely real. After the Berlin Conference in 1885, which distributed among five European countries practically all Africa. Companies and governments prepared to dominate the territories assigned to each. There were practically no disputes until 1914, until the First World War where the British Empire came dominant.
In the twentieth century after World War II, between 1939 and 1945, the European colonizers disappeared and began American neocolonialism, which does not call a direct command over new territories, but economic domain through a powerful network of multinace companiesnales, which they made and undone to their craving throughout the century in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, displacing all competitors. The United States has based its policy on the supposed struggle for freedom and democracy, while it has about 800 military bases worldwide.
Dan Kovalik Columnist of the Huffington Post newspaper, wrote in an article, ‘After World War II, the United States replaced Hitler and the third Reich. Americans have tried to become the other exceptional nation that would govern the world, although using different methods. The United States began using hybrid war methods. After the end of World War II, the United States interfered in the internal affairs of more than 40 countries worldwide. Using the ‘colored revolution’, direct invasions, occupations, economic war and similar tactics. The Americans have been involved in approximately 38 wars and armed conflicts after the signing of the Yalta agreements and the United Nations Foundation ”.
According to Alexei Fenenko, associate professor at Moscow State University, the United States territorial expansion is based on the nineteenth century. Throughout that period they buy or fight with other countries;In North America they move or exterminate their indigenous peoples, enslave or war between them, they intervene and invade Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Mexico, Panama and the Virgin Islands.
For the Colombian journalist and political analyst, Jhon Restrepo "US control consists of three points: the politician, the economic threat and the presence of military bases and soldiers to maintain or overthrow governments". However, the reason for US participation has changed over time. “For the nineteenth century it was based on the fight against piracy, later they used the excuse of caring for citizens and interests US. After World War II, he used communism to intervene in Latin America and in the nations of Asia (Vietnam, Korea);subsequently in the mid -80s and 90s interventionism was justified in the fight against drug trafficking;Finally the war on terrorism is the new excuse for its control policy, ”added the Colombian analyst.
United States in Latin America
Between 1970 and 1980 the United States organized and coordinated the "Operation Condor" that was a coordinated plan between the intelligence services of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia). The international analyst, Juan Francisco Coloane, said in an exclusive interview for Telesur that the United States ‘is the destabilizing country in the world in order to achieve a global supremacy now called imperialism”.
In the Middle East Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Syria are only four countries in which the United States has intervened to seize natural resources or maintain their military domain. Washington has used allied countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel and Qatar to extend their domain in the Middle East region. After the Gulf War in Iraq, USA. He decided to leave Hussein in power, in order to maintain a counterweight to Iran in the region and not offend his Arab allies.
The presence of military bases in the Philippines, Japan, and South Korea, serve as a provocation factor to Russia and China. These bases have been denounced by governments the previously mentioned governments. The United States has about 800 military bases worldwide. The majority were established in the period of the Cold War, which ended about 25 years ago, but the bases still remain. The bases are distributed in places that the United States considers strategic or ‘dangerous for their safety and can become a starting point for war conflicts’.
The International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) indicate that the United States aims to ensure the West area for economic agreements and the free development of projects through the consolidation ‘of what would be the most important economic bloc in the world’. "Through all the bases they have in Central America, Peru, Chile, Las Malvinas, and the attempt in Argentina completely the continent because they control access to the oceans," he explained to Telesur Elsa Bruzzona, history professor and specialist in specialistgeopolitics.
Mauricio Macri, president of Argentina since December 2015, opened the doors to the militarization of the country and announced that USA. will install two military bases in strategic and important areas of Argentina: one in the north of the country, in triple border, and the other, in the southern province of Tierra del Fuego.
conclusion
Since the beginning of the time of humanity there has been superiority and dominance of the strongest over the weak, the most capable peoples dominated the least graceful even great empires such as the Macedonian Empire, Persian, Egyptian, Roman, Spanish, Spanishand French. These dominated their territories through military and technological superiority. Thanks to these advantages, they took advantage of the resources that needed their colonies without paying anything in return, instead, enrich the empire and denied the inhabitants of those territories any opportunity to overcome.
Between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries with the appearance of the great national states or countries as we know today a new concern began, which marked the greatness of a State was not its territorial extension but rather the amount of resources it possessed to satisfyTheir needs, at that time they dedicated themselves to accumulating a large number of precious metals, since as it is today that international reserves are stored in the coin of greater value and circulation internationally, at that time it was done with gold and silver. This way of management of the economy resulted in the development of another form of colony.
While developing this struggle to avoid having the need to buy some resource, they realized that independently, they need raw materials and when the era of colonialism has ended the so -called neocolonialism, which developed during the last century and allowed the developed nations,economically and technologically, have dominion over backward countries. Which normally possessed many of the raw materials that the developed needed to guarantee their own survival.
This neocolonialism consisted of the “without using force” occupation by nations with technology, resources and experience, that is, a disguised colonization to obtain the resources they needed, but to achieve that they needed a figure that hide their true intentions (obtain resources and master that territory).
From there the transnational companies, military bases for protection, help against terrorism, support for infrastructure, among other excuses which only brought hunger and misery and dragged the incipient nations towards the monoproduction that would become the road for the road toavoid its development and maintain their hegemony over the territory, population and resources.
In conclusion we can realize how without using weapons or developing a war, it can be colonized, simply by depending on companies that are only interested in the commercial, marginalizing man at the level of things or beasts,that they only see numbers and compare immense profits without thinking for a moment in the humanity of the workers and their real needs, which exploit and do not give opportunities for overcoming that of less hierarchy and repress any sample of rebellion against the regime that have imposed andThey tremble at any sample of revolution and need for change, that the media dominate at will and make people see and believe what they are convenient for them.
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