bintananth
behind a desk
The US didn't really want the Philippines in 1898 but got stuck with them. The US wasn't going to fuck that bit of unwanted colonialism up and Congress pretty much said "you're free to go as soon as you've got a stable government we're ok with."And what we couldn't or weren't willing to assimilate, we threw back into the waters. The big fish, at least; I'm referring to the Philippines. Isn't that a demonstration of superior empire management rather than holding on to what cannot be held until reality forces your hand and you are humiliated in your weakness on the world stage as you slink away? Better to magnanimously offer the gift of freedom, by the way we get to keep using your naval bases for as long as we want.
WWII delayed Philippine independence from the US to July 4, 1946. Yup, July 4th is Independence Day for Americans and Filipinos.