Are We Heading Toward a Return of Colonialism?
History repeats itself. At least that is an assumption many people make. The recent actions by the Trump administration may support this assumption. After a hiatus of more than eighty years, there appears to be growing interest in the “nations first” views that were prevalent in the colonial period. The announcement by President Trump that the U.S. would seek to acquire Greenland took some people by surprise. Trump first spoke of purchasing the massive arctic island from Denmark in 2019 and has strongly reiterated his interest in the early weeks of his second term, part of a “manifest destiny” push that has also included talk of “taking back” the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state and taking over control of Gaza.
Trump has said buying Greenland is essential for American economic security, and "National Security and Freedom throughout the World." As reported in NPR, experts say the island holds value geopolitically and geographically: It's home to rare earth minerals that the U.S. largely relies on China to get. And the Greenland proposal is gaining traction in Congress. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz(R-Texas) recently argued that acquiring Greenland would serve America’s national security and economic interests due to the island’s location in the Arctic, access to sea routes, and wealth of natural resources.
Similar statements in support of protecting national interests were common in the colonial period in world history. Colonialism helped to develop the European colonial empires of the modern era, which spread globally from the 15th century to the mid-20th century, spanning 35% of Earth's land by 1800 and peaking at 84% by the beginning of World War I. Although not exclusive, European nations dominated the colonial period.
Colonialism is defined as “control by one power over a dependent area or people”, according to National Geographic. It occurs when one nation subjugates another, conquering its population and exploiting it, often while forcing its own language and cultural values upon its people. By 1914, a large majority of the world's nations had been colonized by Europeans at some point in time. In fact, Japan, Korea, and Thailand are the only recognized nations never to have been colonized by Europeans.
For the most part, colonialism dropped off dramatically after WWII as nations began to release control over colonized populations. And the movement away from colonialism paved the way to reduced global poverty. On average, poverty declined by 0.5 percentage points annually from 1950 to 1990. This rate of poverty reduction then doubled to 1 percentage point annually in the period after 1990 leading up to 2019. The period from the 1950s to the 2020s represented a peak period of rapid economic development and innovation.
According to the recognized geopolitical expert, Peter Ziehan, opening global markets was a key factor in this dramatic global economic growth. We reached the point that almost anything you could ever want could be sent to your home within days – even hours – of when you decided you wanted it. And the United States is credited with making that happen. A major factor for the expanded globe-spanning supply chains was the protection of the shipping lanes by the U.S. Navy. Furthermore, the American dollar underpins the internationalized energy and financial markets. American security policy forced warring nations to lay down their arms. Billions of people have been fed and educated as the American-led trade system spread across the globe.
But now many in America have lost interest in keeping it going. The Make America Great Again movement has placed a higher priority on national growth over global developments. And the impact of this shift is being felt globally. While the political dynamics in the United States are not the sole reason for the shift towards nationalism throughout the world, there is no doubting that they are a significant factor. And, not surprisingly, the global poverty figures have leveled off since 2020, and disputes between long-standing trade partners have increased.
So, a question is raised. Will today’s movement towards nationalism signal a return to colonialism as a key strategy? Is the expressed interest by the United States to acquire (or acquire interest) in Greenland and the Panama Canal a door-opener for other nations to view acquisition (rather than international trade) as the preferred global strategy?At this time, many recognize that a global shift is taking place. It may be too early to tell how these dynamics will ultimately play out. Perhaps the clues are in front of us. We just need to study history
