Recently, some American politicians have resurrected a policy from the past: colonialism: that is, nations annexing other less powerful nations. An idea was floated suggesting America might annex Greenland, and perhaps even Canada. Needless to say, neither Greenland nor Canada was amused. In fact, a few Canadians are now suggesting joining the European Union, perhaps less enthused about North American alliances.
Why this reversion to days when countries grabbed territory without permission from the inhabitants? Countries expended wealth and even worse, the lives of citizens, theirs and those of the other country, in decisions by often unelected officials to expand territory.
No sooner did Columbus and other explorers discover the New World, as well as rediscovering Asian nations, than European leaders began thinking of the new territories as theirs to exploit as they wished.
The concept of self rule by all citizens was just beginning to be discussed by a few. At the time, customs accepted throughout history were generally retained. In the past, strong leaders often led armies to take over weaker neighbors—sometimes for slaves, sometimes for products the other country produced, sometimes for strategic geographic advantage.
However, as the Middle Ages waned, a few thinkers began exploring something new: the idea of more citizens having input into leadership. In the beginning, this new concept didn’t include everyone but only an elite—only owners of land, perhaps, or only descendants of kings and nobles. One of the earliest was England’s Magna Carta in 1215, in which the king signed a document stating that the English king was subject to the rule of law.
These new forms of governance were far from our idea of democracy. Often left out were those without white skin or European origin. But even if they were imperfect, they expanded the control of many ordinary people over their lives.
Eventually, after two world wars, ideas like self rule for others outside Europe and North America gained traction, even if never perfectly carried out. The United States led in many of these movements.
Now, however, some Americans seem to be questioning self rule for all nations. Do we want to return to the days of nations battling nations with no regard for what the people caught in between might wish for their future?