We must annex those people. We can afflict them with our…
“We must annex those people. We can afflict them with our wise and beneficent government. We can introduce the novelty of thieves, all the way up from street-car pickpockets to municipal robbers and Government defaulters, and show them how amusing it is to arrest them and try them and then turn them loose -- some for cash and some for ''political influence.'' We can make them ashamed of their simple and primitive justice. We can make that little bunch of sleepy islands the hottest corner on earth, and array it in the moral splendor of our high and holy civilization. Annexation is what the poor islanders need. ''Shall we to men benighted, the lamp of life deny?''”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker satively justifies colonizing a people, claiming it will civilize them, while mocking the moral hypocrisy of such “benevolent” oppression.
In simple terms: Colonialism is portrayed as a moral duty but is actually exploitation.
Key Takeaway
Question the morality of imposing control.
Themes
colonialism
power
hypocrisy
Mood
critical
ironic
Type
historical
satire
When to use this quote
- political policy
- international relations
- human rights debates
Key Concepts
civilization
moral justification
imperialism
Questions to Reflect On
- Is this a genuine Twain quote?
- How does satire reveal imperialist attitudes?
A Different Perspective
The quote may be a satirical misattribution, not an authentic Twain statement.