CGTN时评 | 谎言与战争铺就的美国帝国之路
挑起白人的负担/把你们最优秀的品种送出去/
捆绑起你们的孩子,将其放逐/去替你们的奴隶服务
挑起白人的负担/让他们背负着沉重的马缰
去伺候那些刚被抓到/又急躁又野蛮，又愠怒
一半像恶魔一半像孩子一样的人们
挑起白人的负担/坚持着耐心,掩饰起恐惧/
用公开与简易的语言,不厌其烦地说明/
去替别人谋福利,去为别人争利益
——[英]鲁德亚德•吉卜林（Rudyard Kipling）：《白人的负担》（The White Man’s Burden）
Take up the White Man's burden—
Send forth the best ye breed—
Go send your sons to exile
To serve your captives' need
To wait in heavy harness
On fluttered folk and wild—
Your new-caught, sullen peoples,
Half devil and half child
Take up the White Man's burden
In patience to abide
To veil the threat of terror
And check the show of pride;
By open speech and simple
An hundred times made plain
To seek another's profit
And work another's gain
Rudyard Kipling, The White Man's Burden
1899年，英国诗人鲁德亚德•吉卜林在当时的流行杂志上发表了这首极具帝国主义和种族主义色彩的诗歌。诗歌原题为《美国与菲律宾群岛》，是诗人有感于美西战争之后的菲律宾问题而写。在那个资本疯狂进行海外扩张的时代，美国这个年轻的资本主义国家毫不例外地对外扩张，开启了自己的帝国之路。美西战争则是这条道路之始端，使之从一个地方大国向着全球大国的方向迈进。
This poem, carrying a strong imperialist and colonialist undertone, was published in a popular magazine in 1899 by British poet Rudyard Kipling. Originally titled "The United States and the Philippine Islands," it was a piece on the Philippine issue after the Spanish-American War. That was an era of frantic overseas capitalist expansion, and America, a young capitalist state back then, unsurprisingly jumped on the bandwagon. With the Spanish-American War as the starting point, the U.S. embarked on an imperialist path that would lead to its transformation from a regional to a global power.
乍看之下，美国的帝国之路并不像老牌殖民帝国的扩张之路那样充满血腥，多是通过购买、兼并或协议转让的方式来实现海外扩张。这是因为，作为一个诞生于反殖民主义斗争的“共和国”，美国拒绝承认自己的“殖民主义”历史。因此，在涉及到海外领土时，历史学家通常只谈论正式收购，以避免扩张主义在美国历史上占据的核心地位。但事实上，美国的帝国之路并不阳光明媚，而是用谎言、背叛与血泪铺就而成。
On the surface, America's imperialist expansion, seemingly not as bloody as that of established colonial empires, was mostly realized through purchases, annexations and contractual transfers. This is because as a "republic" born out of anti-colonialism struggles, America refuses to admit that it has a "colonialist" history of outward expansion. So when it comes to its overseas territories, historians usually only mention formal purchases to sideline the role of expansionism in American history. However, America's imperial journey was by no means peaceful and rosy, but full of lies, betrayal, blood and tears.
1898年，正处壮年的美国忙于对外扩张商业利益，意欲在国际政治舞台上寻求更多的话语权和更大的国际市场。当时，世界基本已经被老牌殖民帝国瓜分完毕，新兴的殖民帝国只好与老牌帝国争夺。而此时日薄西山的西班牙就成为了可轻易被征服的对象。为了夺取西班牙的美洲殖民地以控制加勒比海地区，美国以“支持古巴人民独立”为由开启了美西战争。
In 1898, the U.S. in its prime was busy expanding its commercial interests, with the aim of getting a bigger voice on the global political stage and finding a larger global market. By then, the world was almost carved up by established colonial powers – the U.S. as a newcomer had no option but to compete for colonies. Spain, at the time an empire on the decline, became an easy target. To seize Spanish colonies in Americas and subsequently gain control over the Caribbean, the U.S. started the Spanish-American War in the name of "supporting the independence of the Cuban people."
“支持古巴人民独立”不过是个美丽的谎言。鉴于古巴战略地位及其对美国商业的重要性，美国长期以来都在觊觎古巴，并希望将其吞并。正如约翰•亚当斯在1823年所言，“将古巴并入联邦共和国对于联邦本身的延续和完整是必不可少的。”——这是一个难以抗拒的信念，也成为美国长久的政策共识。当时，西班牙已经日渐衰落，难以应对来自古巴和菲律宾等殖民地的起义。美国企图通过对西班牙宣战，夺取起义军的胜利果实，从而瓜分西班牙的殖民地。
That mantra was a beautifully crafted lie. Considering Cuba's strategic location and commercial significance, America had long been coveting the country, hoping to annex it. Just as John Adams put it in 1823, "the annexation of Cuba to our federal republic will be indispensable to the continuance and integrity of the Union itself."
It started as an irresistible belief and gradually became America's long-term policy consensus. Spain back then was already on a downward slope and could hardly handle uprisings in its colonies such as Cuba and the Philippines. Seeing this as an opportunity, America waged war against Spain in an attempt to seize what the rebellions had achieved and snatch away Spanish colonies.
美西战争结束后，美国继承了西班牙成为古巴利益“保护者”的角色，在政治、精神与道德上“对古巴人民的福祉负责”。自1899年至1902年，美国一直对古巴实行军事占领，直至古巴人接受《普拉特修正案》并将其纳入古巴宪法，成为永久条约。《普拉特修正案》实际上赋予美国干预古巴内政的合法性，帮助实现了美国对古巴的“合法统治”。修正案禁止古巴政府签署任何会损害古巴独立或允许外国势力将该岛用于军事目的的国际条约，并承认美国具备干预古巴事务以捍卫古巴独立和维持“足以保护生命、财产和个人自由的政府”的权利。此后，美国通过限制古巴贸易，禁止古巴自产多种产品，强迫其从美国进口产品，使之成为自身商品的倾销地。
After the war, the U.S. replaced Spain to "protect" Cuba, and became politically and morally "responsible for the wellbeing of the Cuban people." Between 1899 and 1902, the U.S. militarily occupied Cuba, and only withdrew its troops after the latter accepted the Platt Amendment and included it into the Constitution.
The Amendment legitimized both America's regular intervention in Cuba's internal affairs and its rule over the island. It barred the government of Cuba from entering into any international treaty that would impair the independence of the country or authorizing any foreign power to use the island for military purposes, and recognized the right of the U.S. to interfere in Cuba's affairs "for the preservation of Cuban independence, the maintenance of a government adequate for the protection of life, property, and individual liberty."
Following the amendment, Washington, through trade restrictions, prohibited the island from domestically producing a number of goods to ensure that they were imported from the U.S., turning the island into a dumping ground for American products.
如果说美国对古巴的“占领”是用谎言换取的，那么其对菲律宾的“殖民”则充满着背叛与血泪。战争初期，美国政府承诺与菲律宾起义军政府建立联盟，共同对抗西班牙，并保证一旦战争结束，菲律宾人将获得独立。美国海军进行海上封锁并为菲律宾起义的领袖埃米利奥•阿奎纳多（Emilio Aguinaldo）提供武器，由阿奎纳多驱逐西班牙人。因此，对菲律宾的起义军来说，美军的到来是令人振奋的。当时，阿奎纳多（Emilio Aguinaldo）说，“美国人不是出于雇佣军的动机，而是为了人类和众多受害者的悲痛，决定将他们的保护扩展到我们心爱的国家，”“在你看到美国国旗飘扬的地方，人们聚集在一起；他们是我们的救赎者！” 1898 年 6 月，阿奎纳多建立政府并发表独立宣言：“在强大的人道主义国家美利坚合众国的保护下，我们在此以菲律宾岛人民的名义庄严宣布——菲律宾人有权并且已经获得自由和独立。”
While America's occupation of Cuba was gained via lies, its colonization of the Philippines was fraught with betrayal, blood and tears. At the onset of the Spanish-American War, Washington offered to ally with the Filipino rebels and promised that the country would gain independence once the war ended. The U.S. navy built a blockade on the sea and provided weapons for the leader of the rebellion Emilio Aguinaldo, who was in charge of ousting the Spanish.
Therefore, for the Filipino rebel army, the arrival of the Americans was exciting news. Aguinaldo once said, "The Americans, not from mercenary motives, but for the sake of humanity and the lamentations of so many persecuted people, have considered it opportune to extend their protecting mantle to our beloved country." "There where you see the American flag flying, assemble in number; they are our redeemers!"
In June 1898, Aguinaldo established a government and declared the independence of the Filipinos and the birth of the Philippine Republic "under the protection of the mighty and humane North American Union."
但菲律宾起义军很快就被他们的“救赎者”所抛弃。1898年8月，在西班牙单独向美国投降时，美国撕下了人道主义的假面，转身背叛了曾经的“战友”，将菲律宾起义军封锁在马尼拉城外。美国总统麦金莱发表声明称“不会与叛乱分子联合占领”，要求菲律宾人“必须承认美国的军事占领和权威”。
But the rebel army was soon ditched by their "redeemers." In August 1889, after Spain's surrender, the U.S. removed its humanitarian mask and betrayed its former "ally," preventing Filipino forces from entering the captured city of Manila. The then American President William McKinley said in a statement that the U.S. would not seek joint occupation with the rebels and that the Filipinos must recognize the American occupation and authority.
1899年2月，菲律宾共和军反抗美国的占领，双方爆发战争，直至1902年结束。美军的占领遇到当地民众的自发反抗。1901年，菲律宾中部萨马岛巴兰吉加的500多名村名自发反抗打死了48名美军。作为报复，美军对巴兰吉加镇进行大屠杀，要求士兵杀死当地“所有10岁以上以及可以拿起武器的男人”，约有2500人在屠杀中遇害，包括妇女和儿童。此外，美军对摩洛村民的大屠杀更是令美国历史上的任何一次大屠杀都相形见绌。当时，约有800至1000人被杀，包括妇女和儿童，只有6人幸存，致死率达99%。马克•吐温对此讽刺道，“我们彻底消灭了他们，连一个能够为死去母亲哭泣的婴儿都没有留下……这是美国基督教士兵所取得的无与伦比的伟大胜利”。
In February 1899, a war broke out between the U.S. and the Philippine Revolutionary Army in resistance to the occupation, and lasted until 1902. In 1901, over 500 villagers in the town of Balangiga on the central Philippine island of Samar rose up against U.S. occupation and killed 48 American soldiers. To retaliate, the U.S. army committed a massacre in the town with an order from the general to kill any Filipino male over 10 who could wield a weapon. Approximately 2,500 people including women and children were slaughtered.
The Moro Massacre by U.S. troops in the Philippines dwarfed all other crimes of its kind in American history. Around 800 to 100 Moros at Bud Dajo, or 99 percent, were killed. Only six survived. In his satire, Mark Twain remarked, "We abolished them utterly, leaving not even a baby alive to cry for its dead mother… This is incomparably the greatest victory that was ever achieved by the Christian soldiers of the United States."
丹尼尔•伊默瓦尔在其书《如何隐藏一个帝国：美国的地理、国土和实力》中指出，到1902年中期，美军损失了约4000名士兵，其中四分之三以上死于疾病。据该书统计，菲律宾军队约有16,000人死于战斗。但这仅是记录在案的战争死亡人数，只是总死亡率的一小部分。富兰克林•贝尔将军（J. Franklin Bell）估计，仅在吕宋岛，战争就杀死了约60万人，占菲律宾六分之一的人口。历史学家肯•德贝瓦斯 (Ken De Bevoise)的研究发现，在1899年至1903年间，约有 775,000 名菲律宾人死于战争。
Daniel Immerwahr points out in his book How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States that by mid-1902, the U.S. lost about 4,000 soldiers, among which three-fourths died from diseases. In comparison, around 16,000 Philippine soldiers died on the battleground, according to the book. This, however, was just the number being recorded, representing but a small proportion of the total casualties.
General J. Franklin Bell estimated that Americans had killed about 600,000 Filipinos in Luzon alone, which accounted for one-sixth of the Philippine population. Historian Ken De Bevoise's research found that approximately 775,000 Filipinos died from war between 1899 and 1903.
通过这场以“解放古巴”为名、叫板老牌殖民帝国西班牙的战争，美国以协议转让和购买的方式获得了对古巴和菲律宾的“殖民控制权”。以古巴为跳板，美国走向南美并控制了加勒比海地区；以菲律宾为中转站，美国开启了向东亚大陆的扩张之路，向世界宣告了美国的崛起。此后，美国陆续占有了关岛、萨摩亚等地，并在两次世界大战中日渐壮大，扩大海外领土，走向了世界霸主之座。
Through the Spanish-American War fought under the cloak of "liberating Cuba," the U.S. secured its colonial control over Cuba and the Philippines through contractual transfer and purchase. Taking Cuba as a springboard, it extended its footprints to South America and gained control over the Caribbean; using the Philippines as a transit, it started its expansion towards East Asia, declaring to the world the rise of the United States. After the war, the U.S. took possession of more colonies including Guam and Samoa, and further expanded its overseas territories during the two world wars to become the global hegemon.
二战之后，菲律宾获得了独立，夏威夷和阿拉斯加成为了美国的州。一方面，这是殖民地反抗的结果。另一方面得益于经济发展和技术的进步，美国开始用全球化代替殖民，以更加隐蔽的方式，如主导国际政治经济规则的制定，通过包括颜色革命、混合战争等手段，继续控制并干预世界上的其他地方，继续用包装成“自由、民主、人权”等的美丽谎言铺就自己的帝国之路。
After World War II, the Philippines gained independence, and Hawaii and Alaska became American states. For one thing, this was a result of decolonization struggles. For another, thanks to economic and technological development, the U.S. began to use globalization as an alternative to colonization, controlling and manipulating other parts of the world through more covet means.
These include dominating the international political and economic rule-making process, staging color revolutions and conducting hybrid wars. This way, it could continue to shore up its imperial ambition with lies in the disguise of so-called freedom, democracy and human rights.
作者系中国社会科学院美国研究所助理研究员俞凤
The author, Yu Feng, is an assistant research fellow at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.