COUNTERINSURGENCY CAMPAIGNS

Contrast of Counterinsurgency Campaigns

Contrast of Counterinsurgency Campaigns

Introduction

US-Fillipino Relations

Relations between the United States and the Philippines have been seemingly positive since the two countries initial association. However, the optimistic attitude and "big brother"-like role of the United States has, in the past, been a façade that the presidential administration of the US has used to cover up their imperialistic ideals. At the close of the nineteenth century, the United States no longer had any frontier to expand its territory and therefore began to consider imperialism as a logical step in its growth as a nation. The annexation of the Philippines was a direct cause of this altered form of imperialism, referred to as "Manifest Destiny" by most Americans. The American-Filipino relationship suffered a great deal from this dominant attitude, which converted to a negative attitude toward later Filipino immigrants trying to make a living on the American mainland. Our "Little Brown Brothers," as they were named by President Taft, were often mistreated to the same extremes as ex-slaves in the US south during the post civil war era.

Vietnam War

The second, even more popular, historical parallel is Vietnam. Numerous observers have maintained, correctly, that Vietnam is not Iraq and that the nature of the combat, the opposition, and the terrain are markedly different. Nevertheless, the parallel holds validity in terms of US policy-making. Deceptive tactics were employed to rationalize the requirement for war, mistaken assumptions were made about how the initial engagement would spell success, and then the deepening and protracted spirals of involvement are remarkably similar.

The Philippine insurrection

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, hysteria encapsulated the United States concerning expansion and the ideals of imperialism and colonialism. With the success of the US in eradicating all outside influenced upon the continental US, it was inevitable that the next step would be to exert US power overseas. However, this was not an overwhelmingly supported cause by the American public, due to the US' previous experience with England and colonialism. These fears and doubts were muted, in part, by both William Randolph Hurst and his practice of yellow journalism and also by President McKinley's creation of "Manifest Destiny." Through the aid of these methods, Americans were persuaded to believe that it was their God-given right to expand US territory across the globe. The perfect opportunity arose to exert this new ideal as the US declared war on Spain. Victory over the Spanish empire would entail an abundant source for oversea possessions and, more importantly, the US would not have to take on the role of an empire. This victory came during the summer of 1898 and by December, as a part of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Spanish-American war, the US was awarded for their 10 week victory with the Islands of Puerto Rico, Cuba, Guam, and the Philippines. Liberating the bulk of these possessions, the question of what to do with the archipelago of the Philippines remained unanswered. This was until President McKinley received a vision from God, telling ...