Tuesday, March 27, 2012

UMW HIST300F: War Crimes and War Hates

This week, you have two critiques of the U.S. military occupations in Haiti and Afghanistan (one far more openly critical than the other). Compare the two takes on wartime abuses by American troops, noting similarities and differences between the particular contexts of alleged and real atrocities. Also consider the "rogue unit" theory versus critiques of systemic problems that facilitate atrocities during occupations. Is the "rogue unit" theory valid or is there more to it? Are these atrocities surprising when considering the nature of colonial occupations?

Thursday, March 22, 2012

UMW HIST300F: Link to Rolling Stone Article

Hey guys-- embedded in the image below is the link to the Rolling Stone article that you should read in addition to The Nation article for next Thursday.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

UMW HIST300F: Corporate Colonialisms

How do both Adams and Hotchkiss see American corporations as developers of the underdeveloped world? Do they argue that these corporations act in service of the United States? How do they consider the problem of labor on banana and rubber plantations? Other thoughts or questions?

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

UMW HIST300F: Making the World Safe for Democracy (Empire)?

When Progressives considered American empire-building and war, these two foreign policies challenged their specific moral visions and idealistic dreams of American-led internationalism. How and why did some reformers embrace empire, while others argued against it? Could American Progressivism and the push to spread moral democracy around the globe succeed without an aggressive foreign policy (your opinions are welcomed of course)?