MULTICULTURALISM
AS A EUPHEMISM FOR IMPERIALISM by J. Parnell McCarter
If Russia were to absorb the Ukraine, Estonia, and Poland
into the Russian Federation in the name of multiculturalism, the USA would
laugh in scorn and be outraged. The USA
would rightly assert that Russia’s actions represented naked imperialism. Yet when the USA has effectively done the
exact same thing and kept peoples by force under its power in the name of such
ideals as multiculturalism or democracy, most Americans accept it without
question. Nevertheless, imperialism by
any other name is still imperialism.
But what is wrong with imperialism any way? Matthew 17:25-26 provides us a true picture
of imperialism in these words: “of whom do the kings
of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own
children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto
him, Then are the children free.” Imperialism is
generally motivated by the desire of one set of people to take property from a
foreign people for itself. Is it any
wonder that scripture tends to treat the world’s great empires in history (such
as the four beasts of Daniel) in a negative light? Such imperialism tends to go against the
grain of “as ye would that men should do to you, do
ye also to them likewise”
(Luke 6:31) and “thou shalt not steal”
(Exodus 20:15). This is very different
from each people respecting the sovereign rights of other peoples’ nations and
property and building up their own nation’s wealth by their own labors.
How has imperialism been manifested in US history? While still ruled by a WASP American
majority, the USA pursued imperialism in such acts as taking certain Native
American and Hawaiian peoples’ lands by unjust means. In more recent decades when WASP Americans have
lost much of their past control of the USA, other peoples have been able to
seize significant portions of the wealth that had been built up in the USA over
many years and to distribute it for their own ends. Indeed, there has almost been a free-for-all
to grab and spend the wealth, leaving the USA deeply in debt. In the “multicultural” USA there has been
widespread re-distribution of wealth both within the USA and to various foreign
nations, leaving the USA effectively bankrupt.
Imperialism by any other name is still imperialism indeed.