Yankee Go Home, Again

By Jorge G. Castañeda – Project Syndicate

If there ever was a pointless, needless, tragic war of choice, it was the “splendid liberation” of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Had Cuba become independent from Spain without US interference, it could have leveraged American investment and tourism to advance its own development. And had the Philippines not become a US colony after Spain’s departure – which would have happened before long, even without American “liberation” – it might have done better than it did under nearly a half-century of US rule.

As for Puerto Rico – which remains a US territory – Latin American progressives argue endlessly about the benefits and misfortunes it has experienced since the war. Some say that Cuba would have ended up in the same situation, were it not for the revolution of 1959. Others point out that Puerto Ricans have repeatedly voted against independence over the past half-century. But this counterfactual exercise is futile. Ultimately, the US “liberation” of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines was, above all, a tragedy.