I don't know. I think that there's a meaningful difference between the examples I understand you to be talking about here - the forceful realization of Manifest Destiny and the country's entry into the colonialism game heading into the 20th century - though I don't know if I can articulate it without it sounding offensive in a way I truly don't intend. The former, like the country's ugly history with slavery and racism, doesn't fully invalidate the political ideals associated in Civics classes with the country's founding. In a way, I see these representing betrayals of those ideals, rather than a rupudiation of them. I'm no temporal moral relativist, but I think there's a notable difference between the (willful?) blindness adopted by generations due to stupid / evil biases and the mindful rejection of the political ideals of democracy and self-determination that was part and parcel of the Spanish-American War.
I remember writing a paper based on some of the Congressional debate over the annexation of the Philippines, and it's striking how self-aware policymakers were at the time of what they were doing. Interesting stuff, particularly for the Congressional Record.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-08-19 05:57 am (UTC)I remember writing a paper based on some of the Congressional debate over the annexation of the Philippines, and it's striking how self-aware policymakers were at the time of what they were doing. Interesting stuff, particularly for the Congressional Record.