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RE: The Hierarchy of Racism: The Filipinos at the Bottom

in #philippines6 years ago

While it can be debated whether or not using nuclear weapons in Japan was absolutely necessary, it certainly wasn't for "no reason" or to trigger nuclear armageddon (those were the only two nuclear weapons in existence at the time). The U.S. did not start that war.

The Philippines has more western influence (at least from the U.S.) than any other Asian country because it was a U.S. colony for a time. However, the U.S. did not conquer the Philippines (except when they liberated it from Japan during World War II). And how was Japan's attack on the Philippines and their subsequent treatment of the people there a result of western colonization? The Philippines came into U.S. hands almost by accident as a result of a war between Spain and the U.S. The U.S. did not oppress the Philippines and granted independence soon after World War II.

Korea and Vietnam are more complicated scenarios but those wars were not driven from a desire to divide those countries but to prevent the Soviet Union from dominating them. Personally, I don't think it was the business of the U.S. to get involved. However, division already existed before the U.S. got involved.

I can't speak for Europeans but I can tell you the vast majority of people in North America have no desire to colonize or oppress anyone. While there are certainly racists here (as there are throughout the world), they make up a minority of the population.

It's true that Europeans did much to oppress those in Asian counties a long time ago. They also tried to oppress each other and their own colonists (hence America's independence). However, those times are long gone and the people that did those things are no longer alive. In addition, Asian countries have long had conflicts with each other, well before Europe was involved or the U.S. even existed.

In any event, hating the West isn't going to help. Unless countries learn to get along with each other, the world is going to become a far more horrible place.

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Because they are using different methods but with the same motives, which is to acquire the country's minerals and natural resources. I just remember the tons and tons of gold on a boat from Philippines to the US after the war, which was given as a gift because they have few gold reserve.

To the best of my knowledge, the U.S. has never taken the natural resources of another country. I suspect that if the U.S. did remove gold from the Philippines after World War II that it was part of the gold that the Japanese had hidden there. In any case, the U.S. has given vast sums of money to the Philippines in the years since World War II.