Imperialism

[Benjamin Barrett]

The OED's entry for imperialism seems outdated.

Definition 3 says, "Used disparagingly. In Communist writings: the imperial system or policy of the Western powers. Used conversely in some Western writings: the imperial system or policy of the Communist powers." The last citation is 1964.

Definition 2 says, " 2. The principle or spirit of empire...In the United States, imperialism was similarly applied to the policy of extending the rule or influence of the American people over foreign countries, and of acquiring and holding distant dependencies, in the way in which colonies and dependencies are held by European states."

Definition 2 uses the past tense ("was") and the last citation is _1914_.

The Seattle Times today provides two citations, one for "imperial" and one for "imperialism."

"Antiwar demonstrators join Occupy Seattle protesters," by Jeff Hodson and Jack Broom, http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2016440758_westlake08m.html

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Holding a cane and a megaphone and wearing a white cap that said, "Veterans for Peace," Mercer said, "We have opposed every American imperial war since 1950, when we invaded North Korea."
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Mercer is Lyle Mercer.

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Others at the rally railed against the "trillions of dollars" spent on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the more than 700 U.S. military bases across the world.

"If that isn't imperialism," said one speaker, "I don't know what is."
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Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

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