From Cali to Gaza: A Case Study on How the Violence in Both Palestine and Colombia is Systematically Linked to United States Imperialism
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Date
2024-08
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The Ohio State University
Abstract
Imperialism is a contentious topic that has been debated for centuries, and perspectives on the issue vary greatly. Some may claim that imperialism resulted in economic and technical progress, while others contend that it resulted in resource exploitation and human oppression. It is critical to approach the issue historically and contemporarily to analyze the contested and vast legacies of imperialism that are still visible today. The nations of Palestine and Colombia make ample research subjects as they have both been subjected to historical colonial occupation while also continuing to be subjected to the machinations of US imperialism. Whilst the nations of Palestine and Colombia are frequently highlighted in the media as nations with ongoing violence and protest, it is often negated that one of the causes of this violence is the imperialistic pursuits of the United States of America. When the colonial era gave way to the neocolonial era, Western powers continued to foster authoritarianism in these countries to maintain geopolitical control, whether over resources or monetary assets. However, rather than heavily analyzing the causation of imperialism, this paper will focus more on the link between imperialism and violence, whilst briefly explaining the historical and causation elements that led to US imperialism in both Palestine and Colombia. More specifically, the goal of this paper is to answer the question, “How has the United States’ imperialism impacted and systematically linked Palestine and Colombia in a system of violence?” This paper theorizes that the United States uses political, economic, and nationalistic pursuits and tools to unrelentingly promote the ongoing violence– which manifests itself in both government brutality and protest in retaliation– in both Palestine and Colombia.
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Keywords
Palestine, Gaza, foreign policy, imperalism, violence