Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Huckleberry Finn

From: Willow Arune ( pangarun@telus.net)
Date: 18 Jun 2007


Mark Twain, it must be recalled, was the "Jane Fonda" of his day, railing against the American adventures in the Philippines under McKinley. The USA spent more time and lives "liberating" the Philippines from the locals than it did in fighting the Spanish.

One quote from the day. "Caloocan was supposed to contain 17,000 inhabitants. The Twentieth Kansas swept through it, and now Caloocan contains not one living native". Looking back, McKinley is seen as the start of Empire, and Gore Vidal makes that very clear in his wonderful series. There is another wonderful quote from McKinley at the time. The USA had to "uplift and civilize and Christianize them, and by God's grace do the very best we could by them, as for our fellow men for whom Christ also died". When reminded that most Philipinos were Roman Catholics and not pagans, McKinley replied "Exactly".

Isn't useless information fun!

Willow

    

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