Mark Twain, anti-neocon

Tom, the neocons have still more reasons for detesting Twain, a member of the Anti-Imperialist League, whose writings against the U.S. government’s suppression of the Philippine insurrection can be found here.

Incidentally, Juan Cole lets us in on Max Boot’s view of the Philippine insurrection and the U.S. government’s response:“Boot never saw a war he didn’t love, never saw a conquest he didn’t find exhilarating, never saw an occupied land he didn’t think could be handled. He wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in which he monstrously expressed approval of the way the US killed 200,000 Filipinos to make the occupation of the Philippines stick. July 6, 2003 NYT: ‘The United States eventually won, but it was a long, hard, bloody slog that cost the lives of more than 4,200 American soldiers, 16,000 rebels and some 200,000 civilians. Even after the formal end of hostilities on July 4, 1902, sporadic resistance dragged on for years. There is no reason to think that the current struggle in Iraq will be remotely as difficult. But the Philippine war is a useful reminder that Americans have a long history of fighting guerrillas — and usually prevailing, though seldom quickly or easily.'”

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2:56 pm on March 4, 2005