US postwar imperialism was framed as benevolent supremacy via free-market capitalism

Evidence

In contrast, the United States crafted a new model of imperialism on the basis of what McAlister has called “benevolent supremacy.” This model was premised on the notion that a US-dominated world would ensure liberty and democracy for all through the mechanism of free-market capitalism. Henry Luce, publisher of the magazines Life and Time, captured this new global role in an editorial titled “The New American Century.” He argued that the United States was a “Good Samaritan” that would bring about “freedom and justice” around the world in the postwar period. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 245

Categorization

• DEFINE: Names and defines the ‘benevolent supremacy’ framing of postwar US empire and ties it to the Luce ‘American Century’ editorial.
• XREF: The ‘benevolent supremacy’ framing echoes the self-image the US projects in the War on Terror — connects to the book’s core argument about Islamophobia as imperial ideology. — connects to: US wartime capitalism was run on Soviet-style central planning; The US distinguished its postwar dominance from old colonialism as benevolent supremacy — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 245; American postwar empire legitimized itself through ‘benevolent supremacy’ rather than old colonialism. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 144 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• The US distinguished its postwar dominance from old colonialism as benevolent supremacy #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 245
• American postwar empire legitimized itself through ‘benevolent supremacy’ rather than old colonialism. #corroborates (1.00) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 144
• US anti-colonialism aimed to supplant old empires for its own economic access #qualifies (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 246
• US anticolonialism selectively served its own market access goals #qualifies (0.80)
• US support for decolonization served its own imperial aims #corroborates (0.80) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 207
• Postwar US empire was legitimated through modernization theory and Orientalism #expands (0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 256
• US post-war hegemony repurposed Orientalism and modernization theory to justify empire. #expands (0.75) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 28