British Imperialism Is an Atrocious Model

Re “In Modern Imperialism, U.S. Needs to Walk Softly,” Commentary, July 15: It was not long ago that Max Boot was using England’s colonial efforts in India as a shining example of what the U.S. should emulate in Iraq and the Middle East (Commentary, May 27).

Boot conveniently forgets that the British, through creating an empire, inserting puppet rulers and not preparing indigenous peoples for self-rule, produced unstable countries and regions ripe for civil war. The historically accurate examples are many: India, Egypt, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.

And now Boot praises American imperialism and our puppet government in Afghanistan -- a glowing example of the way our staunch allies, the British, created empire and set up puppet governments that answered to the mother imperial power, thereby not learning self-rule and the most hallowed of terms, democracy and self-rule.

Stephen S. Anderson

Hacienda Heights

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It is ironic that a conservative like Boot calls what he advocates “liberal imperialism.”

Why not “conservative imperialism”? From his previous columns I thought that Boot was opposed to 21st century liberalism.

Perhaps he realizes that the Bush administration has done away with the idea of conservatives being cautious and careful people who want to make sure to get things right.

Colin L. Whipple

La Habra