The anachronism of empire.

• Author: Jones, Curt

Imperialism comes in two types--hegemonic and colonial.

Type I (hegemonic) confines itself to controlling the policies of its foreign subjects, who are regarded as just another natural resource--the labor to operate the government and work the plantations, mines, factories, and oil fields. The relationship can range from well-intentioned to malevolent. Many British officials felt empathy for their wards. The Belgian monarch's guidance for the Congo may have been the most vicious.

But all hegemonic imperialism was exploitive. The British spoke of "the white man's burden", the French of "la mission civilizatrice". The Americans told the Iraqis "we come as liberators". Their subjects knew better. Even the most understanding imperialists have alien origins, hence alien agendas. In the choice of rulers, local incompetence is preferred to foreign expertise.

So hegemonic imperialism has a limited time to do its dividing and ruling. The Persians had a few years in ancient Greece, the Arabs 300 years in Spain, the Ottomans 400 years in Eastern Europe, the British 200 years in India, the Nazis five years in the Balkans and Russia. Eventually, all these invaders packed up and went home.

Colonial imperialism (Type II) is a far cry from hegemonic imperialism. Colonists are not looking to govern foreigners. They want the land, not the people.

Colonial imperialism also comes in two forms--inclusive and exclusive. Inclusivism of a sort was practiced by the Islamic conquest, which welcomed converts to Islam, and transformed most of the Middle East and North Africa into a homeland for speakers of Arabic and followers of Islam. The Caliphate discriminated against non-Muslims and charged them extra taxes, but didn't persecute them. The Muslims saved their animus for doctrinal disputes among their variant sects. For Jews, medieval Islam was a refuge from persecution in Europe.

A better example of inclusivism may be Brazil, where the Portuguese started by colonizing and Christianizing, but ultimately produced an assimilated society.

Exclusivism favors one community over all the others. We saw an iniquitous example in Germany under Hitler. We see a more humane incarnation in Israel. Washington prevailed on the UNGA to exonerate Israel from the charge of racism, but questions remain to be answered: What is the accurate term for a community that discriminates against non-Jews, proclaims that Israel is a Jewish state, and bases a person's claim to be Jewish on the...