Author's Keywords: Twain, nation, imperialism, Iraq, literature, novel, American, America, globalization, liberalism, democracy, imperial, Saddam, Hussein, Bush, Hank, Morgan, Mark, philippines, cuba	Convention All Academic Convention can solve the abstract management needs for any association's annual meeting. Submission - Custom fields, multiple submission types, tracks, audio visual, multiple upload formats, automatic conversion to pdf. Review - Peer Review, Bulk reviewer assignment, bulk emails, ranking, z-score statistics, and multiple worksheets! Reports - Many standard and custom reports generated while you wait. Print programs with participant indexes, event grids, and more! Scheduling - Flexible and convenient grid scheduling within rooms and buildings. Conflict checking and advanced filtering. Communication - Bulk email tools to help your administrators send reminders and responses. Use form letters, a message center, and much more! Management - Search tools, duplicate people management, editing tools, submission transfers, many tools to manage a variety of conference management headaches! Click here for more information.
Association: Name: American Political Science Association URL: http://www.apsanet.org
Citation: URL: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p41738_index.html Direct Link: HTML Code:

Johnson, Joel. "A Connecticut Yankee in Saddam’s Court: Mark Twain on Benevolent Imperialism" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Marriott Wardman Park, Omni Shoreham, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC, Sep 01, 2005 <Not Available>. 2011-03-14 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p41738_index.html>

Johnson, J. A. , 2005-09-01 "A Connecticut Yankee in Saddam’s Court: Mark Twain on Benevolent Imperialism" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association, Marriott Wardman Park, Omni Shoreham, Washington Hilton, Washington, DC Online <PDF>. 2011-03-14 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p41738_index.html

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript Review Method: Peer Reviewed Abstract: Is it acceptable (or perhaps even imperative) that the United States work to spread democratic liberty, even when nation building requires warfare on behalf of the oppressed? This is a difficult question, requiring the development of some sort of principle (either involvement in such circumstances is generally a duty, or it is not), in addition to calculating a whole host of variables regarding costs and benefits, and chances of success. Until now, the moral debate over Iraq involvement has proven rather shallow on this point. My purpose in this paper is to recapture some important insights from an earlier era of American nation building overseas by discussing possible interpretations of Mark Twain�s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur�s Court (1889), a novel that engages themes directly relevant to the current debate on Iraq. Twain occupies a place in American culture similar to Abraham Lincoln, in that few have matched his combination of homespun humor, commitment to democratic ideals, and bracing intellectual honesty. As with Lincoln and God, everyone wants Twain on their side, and it is common practice to pull his quotes completely out of context, merely to support a point. What is surprising is that few people have mined his writings on imperialism, including Connecticut Yankee�a most complex and insightful work on nation building�for wisdom applicable to today. I contend that Twain�s ambivalence regarding Hank Morgan�s incursion into the world of Camelot is analogous to contemporary ambivalence about the United States� role in the world after the terrorist attacks of September 11. While Twain provides no neat resolution to the conundrum of American intervention in undemocratic countries, he nonetheless helps us understand the nature of our conflicting thoughts and emotions regarding that problem. In fact, it is his preservation of ambiguity on this point, made possible by his marvelous sense of humor, that makes his work so valuable to modern readers. With this in mind, I shall highlight three possible interpretations of Connecticut Yankee. The first conceives of Hank as a well-intentioned democratic reformer, laying the proper foundation for a peaceful democratic transition after King Arthur dies. The second reads the book as ironically criticizing Hank for his overzealous promotion of democracy amidst a traditional culture. The third portrays Hank as an all-out revolutionary, justified in using any means to rid Camelot of slavery and oppression. Each of these interpretations represents, I believe, one aspect of Twain�s outlook on the world. Brought together in the minds of thoughtful readers, these three themes prompt fuller reflection on the question of benevolent imperialism.

The Liberalism of Mark Twain: a Reconsideration of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in light of Contemporary Debates

Democratic Peace? The Proposals of the Union of Democratic Control During the First World War