Idealism vs. Realism
The concepts of idealism and realism seem similar, but in the real sense, the definitions of the two words are completely opposite to each other. Idealism is the practice of envisioning things in an ideal form. It aims at perfection of acts from an ideal point of view and more often than not, it is almost impossible to attain the perfect form of something. Realism, on the other hand, is the complete opposite of idealism because; it is the inclination of acts towards literal truth more pragmatic. It implies the view of life from the realistic point of view in the sense that nothing is perfect, and people should favor the option that takes a practical approach to life (Crawford, 2000, p 45).
Imperialism in the United States
Imperialism has been part of the U.S history since the revolution era. The main reason America adopted imperialism was for economic benefits. The economic control was the reason for the aggressive policy to expand political, Military and economic control over other weaker nations. The U.S expanded imperialism overseas because the overseas countries provided cheap labor and a lot more raw materials that could be used to propel the U.S economy. Expansion of the market through economic approach was the easiest way to take control of other weak countries, which could in turn provide labor and raw materials to the economy. It was the easiest way to colonize them without direct involvement in political affairs. The United States thought it was pursuing its national interest through imperialism in the sense that it wanted to expand its economy overseas because of the great pressure on the economy to sustain the growing number of citizens at the time (Ricard, 1999, p 67).
References
Crawford, M. R. (2000). Idealism and Realism in International Relations. New York, NY:
Routledge
http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture/what-are-americas-vital-interests retrieved on 10 July
2011
Ricard, S. (1999). The Manifest Destiny of the United States in the 19th Century, Ideological and
Political Aspects. New Jersey, NJ: Didier Erudition
