South American Imperialism

Imperialism has been a widely discussed topic dating all the way back to the rise of the Roman Empire. However Its hay day can be cited during the 17th through 20th centuries that are classified through the European state’s use of imperialism. From France’s colonies in North Africa and South-East Asia, to Italy’s Ethiopian colony, or even Spain and Portugal’s South American empire, this era can truly be defined through the entire continents objective of direct territorial control. When juxtaposed with today’s use of imperialism, the two differing eras share several similarities and differences. The two era’s main objectives remain relatively stable, while the means of reaching them have drastically shifted. Although direct territorial control

This idea most closely represents that of 17th century European imperialism but has shifted to meet 21st century ideals. Instead of vying for power through the use of colonies, the military uses strategies that enhance their political and economic agendas in any given area. One example of this agenda can be seen in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Created in 1949 this military alliance was formed to help combat the Soviet Union and communism. However after the fall of the Soviet Union, NATO evolved into an “instrument of imperialist expansion.” (Haiphong, Danny). With so many powerful and influential nations pooling together their military resources, they can do virtually anything they would like. In the 21st century, NATO has had great influence on nearly ever confrontation its members (the states) have been in. The alliance helped to invade Afghanistan in 2001 and In 2011, NATO was called on to give cover and overthrow the independent government of Libya. NATO’s ultimate goal in these interactions was to gain power and influence above the rest of the world. The shift from wanting physical land to more theoretical gains such as power highlights the major difference between 21st century imperialism and 17th century European imperialism. In fact , instead of hoping to gain land, states often do everything in their power to make sure that their opponents cannot

This displays imperialism because while there may have been an initial reason to be there at first, we later find ourselves there simply to exert power over another country and often to change their government to closely match ours. Overall, military influence plays a big role in how modern day imperialism is broadcasted to the rest of the world.
The final way I will discuss how European imperialism differs from imperialism today is through the economy. Gigantic corporations have recently introduced the term of “economic imperialism. With the emergence of Global tycoons such as Mcdonalds or Shell, there has been a kind of reverberating effect across the world. These businesses are no longer simply limited to one state or country; they are expanding. And with this world-wide expansion comes several effects that could be viewed as a loose form of imperialism. Since Mcdonald’s is drawing in so much revenue overseas and bringing it back to the western hemisphere, the corporation is simply pulling resources from weaker countries in order to benefit themselves. This can also be seen in the corporate purchase of land overseas from companies in need of oil such as Shell. This is so because the business is using money to influence the area to benefit the dominant country. Although these examples may be not as strong as my other arguments, this form of imperialism has also replaced the need for