English: In 1901, Mark Twain wrote a satirical essay titled To the Person Sitting in Darkness, in which he expressed strong anti-imperialist views against ongoing conflicts such as the Second Boer War and the Philippine-American War. At one point in the essay, Twain sardonically suggested a flag for the American-controlled Philippines; "And as for a flag for the Philippine Province, it is easily managed. We can have a special one—our States do it: we can have just our usual flag, with the white stripes painted black and the stars replaced by the skull and cross-bones."