14) Ego Stroke.

It was all started in 1899 by Rudyard Kipling. "The White Man's Burden" unleashed a hell of what is today, arguably, a policy of global intervention and imperialism. Granted, the poem can be interpreted many different ways, but the main message persists: It is the white man's way to try and help the other, lower, inferior races.

It all started the spiral of Eurocentric racism, and more importantly, it is still a vital part of many countries today. However, I bring this up to remind you of the repercussions.

Racism is what is too natural in compulsive human behavior. Nobody can be blamed for prejudiced behaviors and opinions because they cannot be easily controlled. There is still no effective way, in this day and age, to eliminate racism.

But when it comes to conquering other countries and killing their people to satisfy the "White Man's Burden", how far is too far? Where does the global superpower draw the line between the improvement of other countries and genocide?

Take the Philippine-American War for instance. When the U.S. tried to annex the Philippines, what happened? The country, expectantly, fought back. And then the U.S. government now had an obligation to correct the wrongs of the country and instill "peace". And that's exactly what happened. The Philippines would not become independent until 1946.

And so it continued, and continues to this day. The fact is that Imperialism is just another form of racism, clear and simple. I said you couldn't prevent it. That you couldn't get rid of it. But when people realize it, and do absolutely nothing against it, we have a serious issue on our hands. Forget the moral implications. Isn't it more central to American ideals that all men should be able to live with their creed and beliefs? Without being punished for it? Without being forced to change it?

What gives a country the right to impose on another, when they have been doing perfectly fine by themselves for the past thousand years?

And yet, we see the paradoxes that have occurred. Today, the war in Iraq serves as a prime example of the American ego that has not yet been quelled. Of course the war is justified on some means. But you want to be fair? Put U.S. troops in every single major conflict in the world. Put them in Israel-Palestine, put them in Africa, and then we can talk.

And then I'll be able to look you in the eye and tell you humanity has advanced themselves for the past two millennium. That they've risen beyond selfish compulsions of resorting to violence.