When Imperial Boomerangs Hit Home
📰 THE STORY: An article from The New Arab delves into the concept of the 'imperial boomerang,' explaining how repressive tactics honed in foreign military operations and colonial exploits are increasingly being used by law enforcement and immigration agencies within the United States, specifically citing ICE's actions in Minnesota. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The
'imperial boomerang' isn't new; it's a feature of empire. After the 1898 Spanish-American War, troops who had served in the brutal colonization of the Philippines were redeployed domestically, bringing with them a hardened, often racist, approach to policing. This included tactics like 'water cure' torture, which directly influenced 'enhanced interrogation' techniques used by the CIA in its 2000s
'War on Terror.' Similarly, programs like 'Operation Gatekeeper' in 1994, which militarized the US-Mexico border, mirrored counter-insurgency strategies perfected in Central American proxy wars. Double Standard: Western media often frames US-trained forces in countries like Colombia or Israel as 'professional' and 'necessary to maintain order' when they employ violent crowd control, surveillance,
or detention tactics against indigenous populations or dissidents. Yet, when these exact methods – tear gas, mass surveillance, paramilitary units – are used against protestors in US cities, it's framed as an 'overreach' or 'crisis of policing,' rather than the direct blowback of imperial training and doctrine. Follow the Money: The military-industrial complex, which profits from endless wars