"White Man's Burden"

[OzmO]

...probably the best contender.

But it was in a constant state of fragmentation... they lost their claim on North America; India; Australia; even Ireland... and they never managed to subjugate Africa or South America.


The Luke

in the 1800's was there any more overall powerful nation than England?

[garebear]

Luke, how do we become as smart as you?

Also, thanks for signing your name at the bottom of each post.

Oh, heavens me, how would I ever know who it was from if you didn't, you smart thing, you?

[24KT]

Luke, how do we become as smart as you?

Also, thanks for signing your name at the bottom of each post.

Oh, heavens me, how would I ever know who it was from if you didn't, you smart thing, you?

That's easy, ...The Luke's is one of the few calm, articulate and well informed posts you will see here.

And here I was thinking White Man's Burden was a movie starring John Travolta & Harry Belafonte,
...either that or a documentary exposing the World Bank, IMF, and the nasty little truth about foreign aid.

[Kazan]

Thats all very interesting but throwing money at poor nations is not the answer to the problem. You give a man a fish he eats for a day you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.

[24KT]

Thats all very interesting but throwing money at poor nations is not the answer to the problem. You give a man a fish he eats for a day you teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.

I think the point is that they're not even giving them the fish.
Foreign aid is often no more than a bribe to prop up dictators and strategically located allies.
All that foreign aid to the Philipines went straight into the pockets of Ferdinand Marcos, while the people starved.
And the sad part is, America knew it, ...but didn't care, as long as they had access to the Philipines the Marcos' could go on stealing and the US would turn a blind eye.

[Kazan]

I think the point is that they're not even giving them the fish.
Foreign aid is often no more than a bribe to prop up dictators and strategically located allies.
All that foreign aid to the Philipines went straight into the pockets of Ferdinand Marcos, while the people starved.
And the sad part is, America knew it, ...but didn't care, as long as they had access to the Philipines the Marcos' could go on stealing and the US would turn a blind eye.

Foreign aid money is nothing more than a bribe, that is why I am against it. We want to get rid of poverty in the 3rd world, we teach them how to take care of themselves, not depend on the foreign aid monies.

[drkaje]

Read it for yourself and decide:
Take up the White Man's burden--
Send forth the best ye breed--
Go bind your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need;
To wait in heavy harness,
On fluttered folk and wild--
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half-devil and half-child.

Take up the White Man's burden--
In patience to abide,
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple,
An hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit,
And work another's gain.

Take up the White Man's burden--
The savage wars of peace--
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for others sought,
Watch sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hopes to nought.

Take up the White Man's burden--
No tawdry rule of kings,
But toil of serf and sweeper--
The tale of common things.
The ports ye shall not enter,
The roads ye shall not tread,
Go mark them with your living,
And mark them with your dead.

Take up the White Man's burden--
And reap his old reward:
The blame of those ye better,
The hate of those ye guard--
The cry of hosts ye humour
(Ah, slowly!) toward the light:--
"Why brought he us from bondage,
Our loved Egyptian night?"

Take up the White Man's burden--
Ye dare not stoop to less--
Nor call too loud on Freedom
To cloke (1) your weariness;
By all ye cry or whisper,
By all ye leave or do,
The silent, sullen peoples
Shall weigh your gods and you.

Take up the White Man's burden--
Have done with childish days--
The lightly proferred laurel, (2)
The easy, ungrudged praise.
Comes now, to search your manhood
Through all the thankless years
Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom,
The judgment of your peers!

[George Whorewell]

So Hugo, did Georgie have it right when it he summed it up in one sentence more than a page ago?