Ian Buruma on The Colonial Trap

(10/6/21)“Whatever the justification for foreign intervention, the results are the same,” Ian Buruma writes in his Project Syndicate op-ed The Colonial Trap. “Dependency—not just on another state, but on NGOs and other well-meaning institutions that do what governments should be doing—fuels corruption…The colonial elites, bloated with free money, have no legitimacy in the eyes of their compatriots. Rebels and revolutionaries may have more, but only know how to rule by force. The imperial power is trapped. Leaving is almost always bad. Staying is worse.” Join us for a look at whether the current administration can avoid the foreign policy mistakes of the past in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.