Saints in the Mirror
Dear readers will look again beyond the bare facts and into their hearts and minds. Americans will see saints in the mirror and angels dancing on the White House lawn. Foreigners will probably see something else. But what about the accusing dots?
We could look at the bloody conquest of the Philippines at the dawn of the 20th century, for example.
U.S. troops took over the Philippines after a fake battle with Spanish forces (the two armies agreed to a mock battle in Manila to justify the handover to Americans rather than to the natives).
“Hooray,” said the Filipinos. “America is a beacon of independence. Now we will be independent, too.”
America would have its day in the imperial sun. But it was still only early morning and it was already drinking heavily from the cup; power was going to its head.
Instead of handing over the Philippines to the Filipinos, the Americans chose to hold onto their colonial prize.
Alas, the ungrateful inhabitants resisted. As many as 1.5 million of them died – mostly civilians – from fighting, massacres, concentration camps, and disease.
American soldiers told the tale in their letters home. One wrote to his kin in New York:
The town of Titatia was surrendered to us a few days ago, and two companies occupy the same. Last night, one of our boys was found shot and his stomach cut open. Immediately orders were received from General Wheaton to burn the town and kill every native in sight; which was done to a finish. About 1,000 men, women, and children were reported killed. I am probably growing hard-hearted, for I am in my glory when I can sight my gun on some dark skin and pull the trigger.
Back home, Americans had little doubt who the bad guys were; the natives were “terrorists”… They were “savages”… The devils were caught up in some unholy cause.
But a few had second thoughts. In his diary, Mark Twain referred to American soldiers as “our uniformed assassins.” He described the war as:
…a long and happy picnic with nothing to do but sit in comfort and fire the Golden Rule into those people down there and imagine letters to write home to the admiring families, and pile glory upon glory.
Who were the bad guys then? We flip ahead to preview the answer: maybe nobody.
People are neither always good nor always bad… but always subject to influence. “Bad Guy” Theory may not help.
More to come…
Be informed! The real and true history
