Opinion: The British Empire: A legacy of violence?
Spencer Chandra Herbert is the first Asian American U.S. Representative from Minnesota, the first Asian American to be elected as a state legislator and the second Asian American in Congress. He served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 1997-1999, and was the first Asian American chairman of the House International Relations Committee. He was a co-author with the late Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of the 1994 “Blue Book” report on U.S. policy toward South Africa, and was on the Foreign Affairs Committee for President Obama’s first term.
As a member of the International Committee of the National People’s Congress, in the late 1970s Herbert was a negotiator for the South Korean delegation, which included President Park Chung-hee, Vice President Kim Dae-jung and Prime Minister Yun Chi-il.
In addition to his congressional work, he is a prominent opponent of U.S. corporate power and a proponent of democracy around the world.
In this interview, Mr. Herbert discusses the role of empire in the legacy of genocide, slavery and human rights violations. He also comments on the role of the state in the creation of a more peaceful world, and calls for a genuine public debate about the U.S. role in that debate.
What role did the U.S. play in the genocide in the Philippines?
A nation’s history can inform its approach to international relations. The United States was not directly responsible for the massacre or the large-scale repression that preceded the Philippine bloodbath. The U.S. military, the CIA and many other American and European powers directly, knowingly or unknowingly, supported the government of Ferdinand Marcos, the president at the time, and his cronies in the martial law regime between 1958 and 1972.
What were the human rights violations committed by the Marcos regime?
The U.S. government condoned and supported every violation of human rights that occurred under the Marcos regime. These included torture, arbitrary detention, political executions, disappearances and killings of political opponents of the dictatorship.
What were the similarities between apartheid South