The White Man's Burden

  I remember being in the tenth grade (If my memory serves me correctly) and having a History teacher pass out copies of The White Man's Burden. Seeing how short the poem was I would assume that it would be about poor white's in search of a new fortune. However, that wasn't the case by any means necessary.  

  In all actuality the poem helped justify western imperialism. The poem's popularity even reached the United States Congress. A Senator Benjamin Tillman read this poem on the floor of the Capitol Building. After reading this poem my eye's were fully open as to why western nations feel the need to annex third world countries. I somewhat summarized it. It goes something like this:  

  Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
  Send fourth your best breed.
  Go send your sons to exile.
  To serve the captives needs;
  To wait in heavy ammunition,
  In forests, jungles, and desserts--
  The newly caught captives,
  Half-demon and half-toddler.

  Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
  In patient you shall stand
  To face the threat of terror
  And always boast in pride,
  By simple open speech
  Seek another man's profit,
  And take another's gain.  

   Take up the White Man's burden ( Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
   Fight a savages war of peace--
  Fulfill the mouths of the Famine
  And care less for those that are sick;
  And when your goal is near
  The end for others will be seeked,
  Watch the lazy and pagan be foolish.
  Let all your hopes be of nothingness.

   Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
  No grand rule of kings,
  But work hard for the butler or maid-
  These are stories of common things.
  The ports do not enter
  The roads do not walk
  Go brand them with your living,
  And brand them with your dead.

  Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--  
  And take his old reward:
  The blame of those are better,
  The hate of those you are to guard--
  The crying of the host you are to laugh
  (Ah, nice and slow) Towards a light--
  Why were we brought from bondage,
  Our lost Egyptian night?

   Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
   You better not ever stoop low--
   Never call too loud on the words Freedom and Democracy
   To cape your fatigue;
   If all you cry and whisper,
   If all you leave or do,
   Those same silent half-breed people
   Shall weigh you and your God.  

   Take up the White Man's burden (Damned if you do and damned if you don't)--
   Be done with your childish ways-
   The lengthy preferred tree,
   The easy, un-bittered praise.
   Come on, and test your manhood
   Through all those thankless years
   A cold edged sword bared with wisdom,
   The judgement of your fellow peers!  

   It was at this moment where everything became clear to me (minus the help of the History teacher). The only way western nations can survive in the next century or so they must defend their interest in exile. Hence, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and the list goes on. Once you find out that The Jungle Book and this poem are one in the same your childhood will never be viewed the same. Damn, I can't believe it. Maybe Walt Disney was a racist.