Did America lose it moral authority when it annexed the Phillipines and became an empire under McKinley?

Answer 1

McKinley did it not only for economic but moral reasons, too. If the US did not take the Phillipines, Spain would have sold it to the Germans.The war against the same rebels that help the US take Manila was as brutal as Vietnam. The entire infrastructure the US built between the end of the war and the Japanese invasion in 1941 was undone. Federal law prevented any realistic hope of starting over and the consequences of WWII on the Phillipines are still being felt.

Answer 2

THANK YOU! Finally a good question that inspires real answers. I remember reading this little bit of the history book back in freshmen year in college and from what i remember, it was a pretty smart move on the US's part because it gave us leverage against the Spanish. Sorta. Basically you can't really say whether or not McKinley was doing a good/bad thing because he was, in essence, just looking out for the interest of the U.S...he was 'defending manifest destiny' so to speak and giving creedence to america's expansionism. But what you must remember is that America was on the brink of war with Spain over the whole Cuba thing at the time and the Philipines was one our strongheld ports that Spain wanted. It all had more to do with Cuba than anything. But as well as serving our own interests (trade, expansion and whatnot) we were also protecting the Philipines from Spain, we gave them money to fight the Spanish, and ended up fighting them ourselves, because we knew what the islands could do for the U.S....and so did Spain really. In excahnge for the military and the protection, the Phillipines gave us access to their ports.

Well enough of the history lesson. Hope that helps in some way.

Answer 3

Or was it the manifest destiny of expanding westward.. and what is this presumed moral authority that Americans think they have? Why is it pre-suppossed that we are the best best best in all.. Nobody really wants a foreign country to have authority of any kind over them.. Hey, most Americans don't even like the authority that the govt stamps on its own people.. ok ok - thanks for the oppt to rant - - have a nice day, pay at the pump etc etc..

Answer 4

America lost its moral authority when it systematically destroyed indigenous civilisations, when it maintained the institution of slavery, when it attacked Mexico, and when it imported Asians as cheap labour. All of that happened long before the global piracy of Cuba, the Philippines, not to mention the sovereign nation of Hawaii.

Answer 5

The US lost the moral high ground after the fire bombing of Dresden in Feb 1945, several months before the end of WWII in Europe.