Archbishop to USA: You're the Worst

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, isn’t too impressed with the United States. Impugning the notion that the U.S. is a "chosen nation," Williams said that the U.S. is a worse imperial power than Britain. The Archbishop insisted that while America eschews territorial acquisitions, the cornerstone of British imperialism, America drives after "influence and control." Calling on the U.S. to demilitarize its presence in the world, Williams offered up Britain’s management of colonial India as a better example of imperial administration, arguing that Britain "pour[ed] energy and resources into administering it and normalising it." Describing Iraq, the Archbishop attacked what he sees as the American imperial modus operandi: "go in on the assumption that a quick burst of violent action will somehow clear the decks and that you can move on and other people will put it back together." Williams’ remarks were part of an interview he gave to Emel, a U.K. Muslim lifestyle magazine.