US President Donald Trump's administration has sparked a surge of pro-colonialist rhetoric within the White House and the broader MAGA movement, with top aide Stephen Miller particularly vocal in his views.
Miller recently penned an essay on X, describing the West's dissolution of its empires and colonies as a form of "reverse colonization," where taxpayer-funded aid is sent to former territories despite their increasing wealth and success. The author also suggested that neoliberalism has been a long-standing self-punishment for countries that built the modern world.
However, this perspective on colonialism appears at odds with mainstream scholarship, which views colonialism as an exercise of external control over a country or territory by another nation or power. Imperialism, on the other hand, implies a hands-off approach, where the dominant nation allows the subjugated entity to govern itself.
Despite this, some prominent figures within the MAGA movement have begun to publicly endorse a form of interventionism that echoes colonialist sentiments. Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly has written about the benefits of colonization, stating that it brought prosperity to underdeveloped regions.
Elon Musk and Lauren Chen, who is close to Trump, have also expressed admiration for the effects of colonialism on developing nations. They suggest that countries like Venezuela are poor due to their inability to harness their own resources, rather than being victims of Western exploitation.
Meanwhile, some Republicans in Congress, including Rep. Thomas Massie, have questioned whether Trump's actions in Venezuela align with his "America First" platform, particularly at a time when Americans are struggling financially. However, Trump remains confident that his base will support him, stating that MAGA loves what he is doing and that the movement is essentially himself.
US officials are currently working closely with Delcy Rodriguez, the onetime ally of former Venezuelan President Maduro, to administer the country. This development has drawn comparisons to a long history of American presidents backing Latin American leaders who are willing to bend to US will.
Overall, it appears that Trump's administration is embracing a form of colonialism that prioritizes resource extraction and regime change over traditional notions of sovereignty and self-determination. As one expert notes, the US does not intend to annex countries like Iraq or Afghanistan, but rather to install leaders who serve its interests.
Miller recently penned an essay on X, describing the West's dissolution of its empires and colonies as a form of "reverse colonization," where taxpayer-funded aid is sent to former territories despite their increasing wealth and success. The author also suggested that neoliberalism has been a long-standing self-punishment for countries that built the modern world.
However, this perspective on colonialism appears at odds with mainstream scholarship, which views colonialism as an exercise of external control over a country or territory by another nation or power. Imperialism, on the other hand, implies a hands-off approach, where the dominant nation allows the subjugated entity to govern itself.
Despite this, some prominent figures within the MAGA movement have begun to publicly endorse a form of interventionism that echoes colonialist sentiments. Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly has written about the benefits of colonization, stating that it brought prosperity to underdeveloped regions.
Elon Musk and Lauren Chen, who is close to Trump, have also expressed admiration for the effects of colonialism on developing nations. They suggest that countries like Venezuela are poor due to their inability to harness their own resources, rather than being victims of Western exploitation.
Meanwhile, some Republicans in Congress, including Rep. Thomas Massie, have questioned whether Trump's actions in Venezuela align with his "America First" platform, particularly at a time when Americans are struggling financially. However, Trump remains confident that his base will support him, stating that MAGA loves what he is doing and that the movement is essentially himself.
US officials are currently working closely with Delcy Rodriguez, the onetime ally of former Venezuelan President Maduro, to administer the country. This development has drawn comparisons to a long history of American presidents backing Latin American leaders who are willing to bend to US will.
Overall, it appears that Trump's administration is embracing a form of colonialism that prioritizes resource extraction and regime change over traditional notions of sovereignty and self-determination. As one expert notes, the US does not intend to annex countries like Iraq or Afghanistan, but rather to install leaders who serve its interests.
this kinda stuff is really worrisome, you know? it's like they're trying to justify some pretty shady stuff by saying that "the West built the modern world" and now we're just trying to take care of our own investments 
but what about all the people who actually lived in those places first? shouldn't their voices be heard too? 
it feels like a total erasure of history and the struggles of marginalized communities... ugh, just thinking about it is making me really anxious 
. I mean, remember when America was first building its empire? It was all about bringing "civilization" to those so-called "backward" countries... Fast forward to today, and it seems like Trump's crew is trying to revive that same colonialist vibe 
. Newsflash: just because we're not directly annexing anyone doesn't mean we're not still exerting our influence! And let's be real, who benefits from this kind of "interventionism"? Not the Venezuelan people, that's for sure 
.
. We used to talk about "spreading democracy" and all that jazz... now it just seems like more like good old-fashioned imperialism 
. Can't we do better than this? 
So Trump's crew is talking about "reverse colonization" now? 
And what's with these folks who think colonization is cool? Elon Musk and Lauren Chen are basically saying that Venezuela's poverty is because they're not good at running their own country, which is just a load of BS 
. I mean, we've seen some crazy stuff in the Trump administration, but this "colonialism" thing takes the cake. Or should I say, it takes the Venezuela... 
. I guess what bothers me is that some people are actually saying it was good for those underdeveloped regions 
. Can't we just help each other out instead of trying to "help" them? 
. The facts just aren't there. And Elon Musk and Lauren Chen can't be serious when they say countries are poor because of their own lack of resources... it's like, hello, imperialism is a real thing and it's not something to be celebrated 
. The Republicans in Congress are right to question his actions, though 
.
... Like, what's going on with Trump's admin?! They're basically spewing colonialist rhetoric and it's just so worrying 
. I mean, isn't that like the exact opposite of what we're trying to do in the world right now? We're all about promoting equality and self-determination for everyone 
.
. I wish we could have a more nuanced conversation about these issues instead of resorting to simplistic, outdated rhetoric 
.
...
. It feels like we're right back in the colonial era, where powerful nations just took what they wanted without caring about the locals. I mean, remember when our parents used to talk about how America was built by, like, brave pioneers who just went out there and settled things? 
Now it seems like some folks are trying to recreate that same spirit of, you know, "civilizing" other nations. 
It's like they think that just because some people have more power and influence than others, it's okay to treat them unfairly. That's not how it works, guys!