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They did the same in Louisiana, Hawaii, etc. First they placed squatters and then they destroyed the country. At that time, American birthrates must have been tremendous. Reminds me of the case of Algeria, in the end it always revert to original population.
This reminds me a lot of how the Aztecs conquered or displaced a multitude of indigenous cultures in the Valley of Mexico and surrounding areas in the centur(ies) before the Spanish arrived and created the imperial European vassal state of Mexico.
They didn't cross the border into Aztec lands, the Aztec border crossed them.
Those peoples were regarded both by the Aztec ruling class and the Spanish as members (or subjects) of the Aztec culture, but in reality they spoke different languages and had different ancestral beliefs, yet they were entirely dominated by the Aztec cultural sphere until they were Hispanicised and converted to Catholicism.
It began with American settlers in what was then Mexico. Quite ironic, is it not?
I've read about it on Robert Scheina's Latin American Wars. It began ironically with American settlers in Texas. Then they proclaimed their independence and a conflict went on, Texas winning its independence. Then the Texans joined the US and the conflict continued, this time the American forces occupied California, Monterrey, and from Veracuz, Mexico City. Long distances were covered by both armies, often in inhospitable desert like conditions. The US had 21 million as opposed to 8 million Mexicans. It was politically more stable and it had an industrial/manufacturing edge. Even then, at that time, these advantages were not clear, and it seems many thought Mexico would have won. The US also had a powerful Navy, which blockaded Mexico, and operated both in the Atlantic and in the Pacific.
Ironically again, what began with Americans settling in then Mexican lands has reversed back. Texas, California and New Mexico are becoming ethnically Mexican again:
Also, though, I would like to point out that the Mexican-American War is one of the wars in which the winning country actually acquired a good amount of Lebensraum (living space).
One interesting thing about the Mexican-American war was that many of the American Civil War generals of the North and South were fighting on the same side in the Mexican-American war. Civil War Generals Who Served in the Mexican-American War
I am also reminded of what Mexico's President Diaz said in the later 1800's:
"Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States.”
With regard to the morality of the war, it would not do to pretend that this was not a war deliberately provoked by President Polk for the specific purpose of land acquisition. On the other hand, the Mexican claim to those lands was in reality little more than a claim. Apart from Santa Fe, the Mexicans had little in the way of administrative personnel, protective soldiers or government services of any sort in the territories. Further, in terms of their future, the lands would be far better off as part of the prosperous, stable United States than they would be if they continued under the impoverished, unstable, strongman-of-the-month government which plagued Mexico well into the 20th Century.
Land ownership has never been a matter of morality, it has always been a matter of strength. If you wish to argue that the US should give the lands back to Mexico, then why not also argue that Mexico itself should still belong to Spain? Or that the US should give the land back to Mexico, which gives it back to Spain, which gives it back to the Comanches who give it back to whatever tribes they displaced when they arrived...and so on..
With regard to the morality of the war, it would not do to pretend that this was not a war deliberately provoked by President Polk for the specific purpose of land acquisition. On the other hand, the Mexican claim to those lands was in reality little more than a claim. Apart from Santa Fe, the Mexicans had little in the way of administrative personnel, protective soldiers or government services of any sort in the territories. Further, in terms of their future, the lands would be far better off as part of the prosperous, stable United States than they would be if they continued under the impoverished, unstable, strongman-of-the-month government which plagued Mexico well into the 20th Century.
Land ownership has never been a matter of morality, it has always been a matter of strength. If you wish to argue that the US should give the lands back to Mexico, then why not also argue that Mexico itself should still belong to Spain? Or that the US should give the land back to Mexico, which gives it back to Spain, which gives it back to the Comanches who give it back to whatever tribes they displaced when they arrived...and so on..
Those lands were inherited by Mexico when they became independent, they were not a claimed land, as California was not a "claimed land". No, those lands were not from Spain or Comanches.
In terms of the future, don't you think that greedy land grabbing neighbours tend to bring havoc and destruction to neigbours at the end, the land always reverts to the original occupants. You can call it Israel, Algeria, Tunisia or Texas.
Colonization does not work and is very expensive, that's why Europe only has testimonial colonies.
What happens when invaders don't breed like rabbits and "natives" do occupy again their lands? Argeria, Libya, etc.
Built a wall to prevent the entry of original occupants? Absurd, nobody has done that.
Americans should have kept themselves well away from the Rockys.
Last edited by karstic; 09-11-2016 at 07:50 AM..
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