Expanding debate: radical critiques of United States imperialism during the Cold War
This thesis is a detailed account of how radical critiques of American imperialism evolved during the Cold War. Due to the United States' anti-imperial heritage (which was enshrined by the War of Independence against the British Empire), American scholars have not always been candid about the United States global role. Instead, orthodox historians often portrayed US expansion in philanthropic terms, whilst ignoring the imperial dimensions of American diplomacy. The radical Left, on the other hand, appeared to be immune from contemporary intellectual currents. Instead, left wing scholars aroused considerable controversy by making notions of American 'empire' and 'imperialism' the cornerstones of their often highly critical interpretations of US foreign policy. This thesis will explain how these radicals used imperialism as an intellectual prism through which they interpreted American history. Whilst some scholars merely used the word 'imperialism' as a political stick with which to beat US policymakers, the authors examined here presented complex critiques of American empire that embraced diverse phenomena such as economic, political, ideological and cultural expansion. Although orthodox critics dismissed left
Morgan, James Gareth
Expanding debate: radical critiques of United States imperialism during the Cold War. This thesis is a detailed account of how radical critiques of American imperialism evolved during the Cold War. Due to the United States' anti-imperial heritage (which was enshrined by the War of Independence against the British Empire), American scholars have not always been candid about the United States global role. Instead, orthodox historians often portrayed US expansion in philanthropic terms, whilst ignoring the imperial dimensions of American diplomacy. The radical Left, on the other hand, appeared to be immune from contemporary intellectual currents. Instead, left wing scholars aroused considerable controversy by making notions of American 'empire' and 'imperialism' the cornerstones of their often highly critical interpretations of US foreign policy. This thesis will explain how these radicals used imperialism as an intellectual prism through which they interpreted American history. Whilst some scholars merely used the word 'imperialism' as a political stick with which to beat US policymakers, the authors examined here presented complex critiques of American empire that embraced diverse phenomena such as economic, political, ideological and cultural expansion. Although orthodox critics dismissed left
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