Imperialistic Attitude and the African Proverb

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" proverb can be traced back to the African origin, though with different meanings based on the user. It is a phrase used to articulate the imperialistic attitude towards the United States at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is a phrase that was often used by Roosevelt to mean that in politics arenas a single government should carry all the conflicts first in a manner that is aggressive and effective. Once the government does that, it should embark on preparation to fight back if a need is for that. This means the government should always be prepared whether with or without any weapon to fight back as a result of trouble that may be caused by its action. Imperialism was an era that witnessed the stronger states claiming control over the weaker countries. The period saw the United States become imperialistically propelled towards taking control of the African countries and other parts of the world.

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A good example that outlines the connection between the proverb and the imperialistic attitude of the United States was the crises of Venezuelan debt. This crisis commenced in 1901, causing a lot of tension between many states that were associated with it. Cipriano Castrol, the then president of Venezuela, declined to settle the debts that were owed to the neighboring European countries. Ideally, when a parent carries a stick, it is assumed that it is probably for punishing the children in a bid to correct them. When Cipriano failed to settle the debts, the countries that lend him had to design a proper stick to use. They embark on preparing for warfare to claim for their payments from President Castrol.

Initially, President Roosevelt was aware of the debt that South America owed to the European states as well as the usual way that had been prepared by these states. He developed a feeling that the European nations stood a chance of admonishing the Latin American nations by all means except through occupation. Forcing occupation on a Latin American country was considered a violation of the rules set in Monroe Doctrine that demanded that all the European powers exclude themselves from the affairs of the Western Hemisphere. However, Roosevelt's mind was changed by the Santo Domingo and Venezuela affairs. The European state's actions of starting warfare to demand debt settlement were the primary source of the United States' attitude towards the imperialism that is portrayed in the famous proverb.

To prevent similar actions from happening in any of the American states, Roosevelt made a declaration that it was only the United States that possessed the power to correct any wrongdoings by the weaker countries within the Western region Hemisphere. His actions were meant to challenge the actions taken by the Europeans imperialists of using force to settle the differences that arise amid their neighbors. This was explained using the African proverb of carrying a big stick. Once the European nations started the war, they had to remain prepared for any reactions from other countries. This means that every strategy that the government uses it must put into consideration the outcomes. The European states were seen as people who lack diplomacy and use their position to exploit the weak ones. Thus, the United States developed a feeling that European countries were using their big stick to fight the weak ones. This was the birth of the imperialistic attitude by the United States as portrayed by the proverb.