A few days ago (here) I noted (echoing many others) that the war on terror has created a so-called ‘boomerang effect’ in the battle against immigration and smuggling.
It would be worth pursuing why Herbert Spencer, a liberal ultra but also a social Darwinist, became such a prominent and influential anti-Imperialist in the period, much admired in India for that reason.
"Boomerang" is a bad metaphor, although widely used, since the design is about reuse, not unforeseen consequences.
"Blowback" would be better, although a quick search suggests that some gun designs exploit the energy generated by exhaust gases
It would be worth pursuing why Herbert Spencer, a liberal ultra but also a social Darwinist, became such a prominent and influential anti-Imperialist in the period, much admired in India for that reason.
Noted!