What I'm about to say can be researched further because the information displayed here are just the basics. Nevertheless, here I go:
When it comes to American experiment and/or the guilt of one group and its redemption leading to the suffering of another group, most Americans like to concentrate their mind on Israel, and to a lesser extent on Iraq. However, I want to concentrate on Israel because it was the guilt of the Holocaust that caused Americans and Europeans to search for a homeland for the Jews. Unlike Madagascar, where the Nazis proposed sending Jews, the victors of WWII decided to send the Jews to Palestine (Mandate). Well, the Israelis had to fight for survival on several occasions and eventually lorded over the natives. Today, we have Israeli settlers with a mindset of arrogance and superiority over their Arab neighbors. As we've seen with the current conflict in Lebanon, the root of the Arab-Israeli lies in the Palestinian territories. As for Americans, we feel that Israel has a right to exist and modern Israel is the perfect place for her.
Well, there was another American experiment that culminated into a state 99 years and roughly 10 months before the Israeli project. In 1822 freed slaves were allowed to return to Africa and settle on land bought from the British by the American Colonization Society. Nevertheless, once arriving, the settlers had to fight back the natives of this land. On 7/26/1847, the settler declared their "Promised Land" and independent state. They named their capital Monrovia, after James Monroe. Furthermore, they copied the American flag (with one star) and the American political system with Whigs and what have you. Even though Liberia was recognized by the superpower at the time, the British, the British and French would still steal some of Liberia's land, knowing that the Liberians could not fight back because the new settlers were too busy killing and enslaving the natives. Liberia was very successful despite its settler-only leadership and its isolation, not unlike Haiti and Ethiopia, the only other independent African countries at the time.(On a side note, Ethiopia is the oldest country in human history). During the Cold War, Liberia sided with the United States, with its ruler William Tubman, who served from 1944-1971. However, as other African countries sought independence, Tubman came under pressure to invite the natives into government. However, it was his successor, William Tolbert, who broke many taboos and started a true opposition party. Furthermore, Tolbert began to side with the Soviet Union and implement more socialist policies in Liberia. The CIA, feeling that they were losing the Liberian government, deposed of Tolbert by covertly supporting Samuel Doe, a real native of Liberia and a General that carried out a coup in 1980. After the coup, Reagan supported Doe and millions were poured into his coffers, despite the fact that he managed to destroy the economy. Doe himself was deposed in 1989 by Charles Taylor who escaped from an American prison to lead a rebel group. Taylor ruled on and off from 1989 to 2003, when he was sent into exile and eventually arrested for war crimes.
Today, thanks to the CIA and the arrogance of Liberia's own settler community, Africa is a backwater African nation not too different from other African countries. The rift between the offsprings of the early settlers and the natives still exist but it isn't as stark as that between the Jews and Arabs. In fact, the new leader of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is a descendent from the settlers. She defeated a native soccer star, Weah, in an election last year.
Most American citizens and/or governments forgot about Liberia only until she could be used as an agent-state in the Cold War. The African-Americans don't know much about her either, or they may not like her much because of what she did to the natives. Nevertheless, there may be some African-Americans that supported her because she represented what Africans were capable of if only they were allowed to rule themselves. Perhaps this whole affair is not different from American/European Jews and Israel. The only difference is that the Jews were able to release themselves of the shackles of slavery, racism, get their act together and form a bond that would not only protect themselves in Europe and America but would also protect the fledgling state of Israel. African-Americans, on the other hand, devoid of their true ancestrial history and culture, were left to simply survive in their new homes outside Africa. Furthermore, their sheer size and diversity may have stunted the need for a unified front to combat the many problems they face today. Whatever it is, it can be discussed at a later date. My main point here is that, just as with Israel, America had good intentions, but everything fell apart when she failed to realize the consequences of her actions and the true nature of man.
When it comes to American experiment and/or the guilt of one group and its redemption leading to the suffering of another group, most Americans like to concentrate their mind on Israel, and to a lesser extent on Iraq. However, I want to concentrate on Israel because it was the guilt of the Holocaust that caused Americans and Europeans to search for a homeland for the Jews. Unlike Madagascar, where the Nazis proposed sending Jews, the victors of WWII decided to send the Jews to Palestine (Mandate). Well, the Israelis had to fight for survival on several occasions and eventually lorded over the natives. Today, we have Israeli settlers with a mindset of arrogance and superiority over their Arab neighbors. As we've seen with the current conflict in Lebanon, the root of the Arab-Israeli lies in the Palestinian territories. As for Americans, we feel that Israel has a right to exist and modern Israel is the perfect place for her.
Well, there was another American experiment that culminated into a state 99 years and roughly 10 months before the Israeli project. In 1822 freed slaves were allowed to return to Africa and settle on land bought from the British by the American Colonization Society. Nevertheless, once arriving, the settlers had to fight back the natives of this land. On 7/26/1847, the settler declared their "Promised Land" and independent state. They named their capital Monrovia, after James Monroe. Furthermore, they copied the American flag (with one star) and the American political system with Whigs and what have you. Even though Liberia was recognized by the superpower at the time, the British, the British and French would still steal some of Liberia's land, knowing that the Liberians could not fight back because the new settlers were too busy killing and enslaving the natives. Liberia was very successful despite its settler-only leadership and its isolation, not unlike Haiti and Ethiopia, the only other independent African countries at the time.(On a side note, Ethiopia is the oldest country in human history). During the Cold War, Liberia sided with the United States, with its ruler William Tubman, who served from 1944-1971. However, as other African countries sought independence, Tubman came under pressure to invite the natives into government. However, it was his successor, William Tolbert, who broke many taboos and started a true opposition party. Furthermore, Tolbert began to side with the Soviet Union and implement more socialist policies in Liberia. The CIA, feeling that they were losing the Liberian government, deposed of Tolbert by covertly supporting Samuel Doe, a real native of Liberia and a General that carried out a coup in 1980. After the coup, Reagan supported Doe and millions were poured into his coffers, despite the fact that he managed to destroy the economy. Doe himself was deposed in 1989 by Charles Taylor who escaped from an American prison to lead a rebel group. Taylor ruled on and off from 1989 to 2003, when he was sent into exile and eventually arrested for war crimes.
Today, thanks to the CIA and the arrogance of Liberia's own settler community, Africa is a backwater African nation not too different from other African countries. The rift between the offsprings of the early settlers and the natives still exist but it isn't as stark as that between the Jews and Arabs. In fact, the new leader of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is a descendent from the settlers. She defeated a native soccer star, Weah, in an election last year.
Most American citizens and/or governments forgot about Liberia only until she could be used as an agent-state in the Cold War. The African-Americans don't know much about her either, or they may not like her much because of what she did to the natives. Nevertheless, there may be some African-Americans that supported her because she represented what Africans were capable of if only they were allowed to rule themselves. Perhaps this whole affair is not different from American/European Jews and Israel. The only difference is that the Jews were able to release themselves of the shackles of slavery, racism, get their act together and form a bond that would not only protect themselves in Europe and America but would also protect the fledgling state of Israel. African-Americans, on the other hand, devoid of their true ancestrial history and culture, were left to simply survive in their new homes outside Africa. Furthermore, their sheer size and diversity may have stunted the need for a unified front to combat the many problems they face today. Whatever it is, it can be discussed at a later date. My main point here is that, just as with Israel, America had good intentions, but everything fell apart when she failed to realize the consequences of her actions and the true nature of man.
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