Imperialism in Africa and Asia

Imperialism is a political philosophy that applied in Europe and North America. Countries from these continents conquered territory in Africa and Asia in order to exploit people and land on these continents for natural resources.
These natural resources were needed to fuel the industrial economies of countries in Europe and North America.

A second major reason for imperialism was the idea of The White Mans Burden. This philosophy was popularized in a poem written by Rudyard Kipling (famous for writing the Jungle Book, which later became a Disney film).
According to this philosophy, Europeans and Americans had a duty to civilize Africans and Asians. This civilizing process included converting Africans and Asians to Christianity and persuading these folks to adopt other European cultural traits, including language, dress, and education.

The White Mans Burden

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 Mans Burden Send out the best of your children Force your sons to live in the colonies To serve the natives need To serve in heavy harness (like a plow horse) fluttered folk and wild (the natives) -Your new-caught, sullen peoples, (in a bad mood) Half-devil and half-child. (refers to the fact that natives were not Christian [half-devil] and were not considered civilized [half-child])

Thought Experiment
An alien race encounters the earth and offers to share their technology with humans. One piece of technology that the aliens offered to share was technology around food. The aliens noticed that many humans on earth are starving and using the aliens tech, there would be a limitless amount of food.

Thought Experiment
Humans happily accept this new technology, but there is a condition: On the aliens home planet, to avoid health problems relating to over-eating, people are only allowed to eat 1900 calories a day. The aliens will only give humans their food technology if humans agree to this condition.

Thought Experiment
The humans accept and the aliens give the food tech to earth. Soon there is no hunger or starvation.

However, not long after the new tech is used, one human eats 3000 calories. The aliens shoot this human on the spot, reminding humans that they agreed to only eat 1900 calories and execution is the price paid for over-eating.

Thought Experiment
After sharing their technology, the aliens speak to the humans again. The aliens notice that earth has many apples. The aliens use apples back home as an energy source. Since the aliens solved earths food issues, the aliens ask all humans to grow apples, which will be sent back to the aliens home planet.

Thought Experiment
Humans have new technology that ends hunger, but must abide by a strict diet. Also, most humans must become apple farmers to meet the aliens energy needs.

HW Questions
1. Would you want to live in this society? Why or why not? 2. Is giving up your freedom to decide what and how much to eat worth ending starvation? 3. Who is benefiting in this situation? 4. How is the relatable to imperialism and the White Mans burden?