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DankVectorz t1_isq8e7r wrote

TIL we fought Koreans in 1870?

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molotovzav t1_isqi2s8 wrote

We were trying to establish ourselves in Asia and jockeying for trade routes and influence in the area, we had just emerged form the civil war, where Europe was already established in some parts of Asia. Sometimes shit like this happened too, but it wasn't a larger conflict, just us trying to exert influence and people fighting us from time to time.

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[deleted] t1_isrnq1p wrote

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Cheongshim t1_issajv6 wrote

Yes, but the motivations for imperialism were different from country to country and the nuances are important. Slapping the broad label of “imperialism” on everything and then moving on is the reason we still haven’t learned our lesson.

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[deleted] t1_ist0l2q wrote

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Cheongshim t1_ist47cl wrote

The first nuance is that people rarely exploited “natives” simply because they felt their race or culture was superior. Those are the excuses people made to justify, greed, corruption, and inadequate economic systems that were strained by war, famine, and policy.

Your points are reductionist and incredibly simplistic and I fear your version of a history book would only be about 3 pages long.

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Rossum81 t1_isssjod wrote

First Medals of Honor in a foreign conflict.

Korea was the ‘hermit kingdom’ in those days. Foreign visitors (especially missionaries) were banned. Many sailors who were shipwrecked were executed. As the US was trading heavily with China and Japan, incidents were bound to happen.

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