One Must Think and Evaluate

This entry will provide the opportunity of the reader to form their own opinion on the direction of the United States under the Trump administration in regards to foreign affairs.  While I understand the necessity of establishing spheres of influence to ensure our national defense is more secure, one must decide how a nation goes about establishing those spheres of influence. 

To establish those spheres of influence, the idea of imperialism and sovereignty must be defined.  From those definitions, a foreign policy, or, how one nation treats another nation, must be developed.  The development of that policy requires a nation to either respect the people’s ability of a nation to self-govern, or reject that idea.  

It must be realized one country’s culture, way of life, ideals, religion, governmental system may not align with another country, like the United States.  In a question, “Should the United States seek to change the way another country’s people live, if those people do not ask for help?”  In 1983, Grenada's Governor-General, Paul Scoon, secretly requested U.S. help after a coup, and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) formally asked the U.S. to intervene to restore order and democracy in Grenada.  The United States responded to the cry for help.  This action helped to restore the United States “sphere of influence” in the Caribbean and gave notice to the world, the United States is still the policeman of the Western Hemisphere as delineated by President Theodore Roosevelt and the Roosevelt Corollary, which amplified the Monroe Doctrine of 1823.

Without question, imperialism has existed throughout the history of the world; there are many examples, and the United States exists only because the colonists broke from England because of its imperialistic methods.  Japan exerted an imperialistic movement in to China, Korea, and even Southeast Asia.  Today, Russia is doing the same in the Ukraine.

Fast forward to now…think Greenland, think Venezuela (other than the apprehension of Maduro), think Canada, think Mexico, think Colombia and all of the rhetoric that has been coming out of the White House . Just think about that…after you read the definitions of sovereignty, imperialism, sphere of influence, and the historical results of such. 
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Should the United States impose its will on other countries in the name of national security?  Will the “acquisition” of Venezuela and Greenland increase national security or enhance someone’s deep pockets?

Maybe your opinion will differ from mine, maybe not.

sovereignty | ˈsäv(ə)rən(t)ē, ˈsävərn(t)ē | noun 

• supreme power or authority
• the authority of a state to govern itself or another state: national sovereignty. 
• a self-governing state

imperialism | imˈpirēəˌlizəm | noun 

• a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy, economic, or military force

sphere of influence sphere of influence (also sphere of interest) 

• a country or area in which another country has power to affect developments although it has no formal authority
• a field or area in which an individual or organization has power to affect events and developments

Political and Geopolitical Consequences

• Arbitrary Borders: European powers drew national boundaries without regard for existing ethnic, linguistic, or cultural lines. This has fueled modern conflicts and civil wars in regions like Africa and South Asia as rival groups were forced together or unified communities were split apart.

• Loss of Sovereignty: Colonized peoples lost their right to self-governance, often replaced by puppet regimes or direct rule from abroad. This legacy of political instability continues to influence modern international relations.

• Global Conflicts: Intense competition between imperial powers for new territories was a major contributing factor to the outbreak of both World War I and World War II. 

Social and Cultural Consequences

• Cultural Erosion: Western languages, religions (notably Christianity), and legal systems were often forcibly imposed, leading to the marginalization or erasure of indigenous traditions and identities.

• Racial and Social Hierarchies: Imperial rule introduced rigid social structures based on race and class, frequently using "divide and rule" tactics that favored one ethnic group over another to maintain control.

• Demographic Shifts and Disease: The arrival of imperialists often brought new diseases (such as smallpox) that devastated indigenous populations, while forced labor and migrations significantly altered the demographic makeup of entire regions

Economic Consequences

• Resource Extraction: Imperial powers restructured colonial economies to serve their own industrial needs, extracting raw materials like gold, rubber, and cotton without significant reinvestment in local development.

• Dependency and Trade Imbalance: Many colonies were forced into monocultures—growing a single cash crop (e.g., sugar or tea)—creating long-term economic dependence on global market prices and former imperial masters.

• Destruction of Local Industry: Imperial policies often dismantled traditional handicrafts and indigenous industries to eliminate competition for manufactured goods from the "mother country