Dominican republic Quote by Eduardo Galeano
““MARK TWAIN Some months after invading Iraq, President George W. Bush said he had taken the war to liberate the Philippines as his model. Both wars were inspired from heaven. Bush disclosed that God had ordered him to act as he did. And a century beforehand, President William McKinley also heard the voice from the Great Beyond: “God told me that we could not leave the Filipinos to themselves. They were unfit for self-government. There was nothing left for us to do but to take them all, and to educate them, and uplift and civilize and Christianize them.” Thus the Philippines were liberated from the Filipino threat, and along the way the United States also saved Cuba, Puerto Rico, Honduras, Colombia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa . . . At the time, writer Ambrose Bierce revealed: “War is God’s way of teaching us geography.” And his colleague Mark Twain, leader of the Anti-Imperialist League, designed a new flag for the nation, featuring little skulls in place of stars. General Frederick Funston suggested Twain ought to be hanged for treason. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn defended their father.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Open Veins of Latin America, Eduardo Galeano, 1971
A satirical critique of imperialist justifications for war, exposing how religious rhetoric was used to legitimize US expansion and domination.
In simple terms: War is portrayed as a tool of empire, cloaked in divine mandate.
Key Takeaway
Question the moral narratives used to justify conflict.
Themes
imperialism
war
religion
colonialism
Mood
critical
ironic
skeptical
Type
historical
political
satirical
When to use this quote
- historical analysis
- political debate
- education
- media criticism
Key Concepts
American expansionism
moral hypocrisy
Questions to Reflect On
- What are modern examples of “divine” justification for intervention?
- How does satire reveal hidden motives?
A Different Perspective
The quote mixes factual references with fictional elements, blurring truth and satire.
