Now that you are an expert on the topic of imperialism and all that it entails... find a current event article that gives readers an example of imperialism (not involving the United States). Provide a link to the original article and then provide some discussion as to why your selected example is imperialism - and go one step further - is it economic or political imperialism (or both).

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11799078

In this current event the stronger nation being Russia has captured a Israeli mercenary back to his country after being caught since 2001. This is an example of imperialism because the stronger nation has already oppressed the weaker nation by capturing a spy. But since the weaker nation could do anything to get the captured spy back this is an example of imperialism. Like the queen of Hawaii could not do anything to stop the United States annexing the islands. The spy was found in Colombia and the Russians captured him and has just been released back to his home country.  

Digging holes for Bodies

Read this post from a blog documenting the history of West Indians (people from the Caribbean islands). The blog post discusses several of the issues faced by workers during the construction of the Panama Canal. Write a short journal entry from the point of view of one of the West Indian workers detailing the dangers they faced during the construction of one of the most pivotal man made structures in the world.


Dear Journal


Arriving in Panama, with numbers. Many of my friends where scared of death. I was not, if i was going to die i was going down with a fight. I would try my hardest to get the job home and return home. I knew that the most common ways to die were Malaria and yellow fever. The only possible thing that could be scaring to me was the heat we had to work in. I was not use to cutting down jungle after jungle for hours on end the dreadful heat. At I was a white man, we had more chance of survival than the black man working in Panama. Even if the black man lived he would be scared for life of the days,weeks, or months working in Panama. At least i wasn't on the bomb team. Chances of team where highly likely because explosions could happen prematurely or early. Most of the bomb teams were black people so i was lucky in that aspect also. Seeing many people die from railroad accidents was horrifying. It was like working to jobs one building the Panama Canal and the other digging holes for bodies.   

Weekly Article 11.19.10

The movie I have chosen to reflect the ideas of imperialism is the movie Avatar. A stronger nation oppressing a weaker nation. The movie Avatar is based on the ideas of Pocahontas where the spanish come over and take over the aztecs because they had gold. In Avatar the humans attack the natives because they refuse to move out of the humans way. The humans are the stronger nation and the weaker nation are the natives or the Avatars. In the movie the humans want to collect a natural occurring metal on the planet that sells for a lot of money back on earth. This is why the humans take military action over the Avatars and force them to move away from home tree. It relates to the ideas of imperialism because its the same concept, as in when American went to annex Hawaii. Because they stopped trading sugar with the United States. The United States need sugar so they went annex the country without any casualties. So in Avatar the humans needed to collect the metal and if they did not their was no need for them to be there. In the end of the movie the Avatars fight back and beat the humans and sent them back to their home planet earth. In all imperialism controversies there is a product or crop that is wanted by the stronger nation. In Avatar the product or crop is the metal. Like in other imperialism ideas the crops have been sugar, bananas and other crops or products. Also as well as the crop, the stronger nation trains civilians or people from that country to overthrow the countries government so that they do not have to start a war over it. In Avatar they find the technology to turn humans in to Avatars to learn their ways and to beat them. Its the same idea as the school of Americans its just expressed in a different way in the movie Avatar. In the school of Americas the American government trains people from a different country to learn military tactics or other important lessons to get rid of another man in charge of a country. They do this because the American government does not like the man in charge because they are not pro-american. They want to pretty much turn most of the countries around them in to pro-american so they do not have to go to war with anyone. Doing this is kind of like bullying. Like American is the boss of the western world. The movie Avatar was not really a good pick to be chosen to relate to the ideas of imperialism because int he end the weaker nation other throws the stronger nation which would not happen in the real world. But say the ending did not happen it would be a great example of imperialism. Its just like the real world but in a movie.

Conspiracy or not?

During the Spanish American War, yellow journalism was used by American newspapers to gain support for the war. Check out the PBS website Crucible of Empire, and their story about yellow journalism during the war. After gaining an understanding for the concept, find an example of how yellow journalism is used today. For this post, quote a news headline and then comment on how it relates to yellow journalism used during the war. Blog about it.


"Maine explosion caused by bomb or torpedo" was the entry for the United States to start the Spanish American war. This was the headline in the New York times newspaper. It relates to yellow journalism because of how it could of been the United States blowing up their own warship or was it the Spanish doing the torpedoing. We don't know and never will know but it was an excuse for the United States to go to war with the Spain. It made the American people mad and wanted revenge. Thats what yellow journalism is, its making something very small and turning it into something massive so you have a reason to do something. In the headline it could have been bombed by the Americans themselves or torpedoed by the Spanish. Either way American lives where lost because of this. Its is the same as the 9/11 attacks on the world trade center was it Terrorists or the United States government to have a reason to enter Iraq. 

Boss of the World

Explore the website for the School of the Americas Watch, an anti-SOA organization that calls for its closing. Look at some of the groups arguments against the SOA. Should the United States be able to operate such an organization and train people in the practice of the coup d'etat? Use the facts from the SOA site to help you formulate your argument. Blog about it.


The United States should be able to operate a school of the Americans in their own country. I disagree with the school of the Americans being another country then the United States because it is their organization. American is made up of a variety of different people. Hundreds of Thousands of people immigrant to the United States every year and most don't speak common english. This is why the school of the Americans is in place to train latin americans military tactics and information about American that is vital. So i don't think the anti-SOA organization can have a say in closing the school of the Americans. But because the United States it the boss of the world they can do this , because no ones going to say anything only their own people. Also training immigrants that could to American is a great military tactic to train the people and hold their position of boss of the world.