American Empire

[Sueven]

Thoughts requested:

American imperialism is not only a goal but a reality. America already controls a vast political empire, and has designs on expansion. Because the empire is built largely on political and economic might, with only the vague threat of the military, the outcry and attention paid to the empire is much smaller than it would otherwise be. Three reasons for this:

1. America denies it. Admitted imperialist designs would be contrary to our interests.
2. Those countries and organizations that have willingly bent to our will, such as large portions of Western Europe, the United Nations, the WTO, Canada, Australia, and so forth, refuse to admit their participation in the empire because of a combination of denial and pridefulness.
3. Those countries which we have forcefully been bent to our will, such as parts of Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa are not taken seriously enough by the international community to raise any real outcry.

Further consider the enormous nuclear and naval arsenal possessed by the United States. If the shit really hit the fan, our relatively small reserve of ground troops would be basically irrelevant.

The wild cards in the situation:
-China and India
-The continued participation of the countries set forth in number two above
-The continued western ignorance/ignoring of human rights catastrophes in places like Africa and Latin America.

Opinions?

[archeiron]

The traditional definition of an empire:

A political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations and ruled by a single supreme authority.

The United States of America may exert significant influence over areas outside of its boundaries; however, the US government is not the ruling body for anything outside of the US and its recognized territories. As a result, it fails one of the basic requirements for being designated an empire in the classical sense.

[Winnow]

The traditional definition of an empire:

A political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations and ruled by a single supreme authority.

The United States of America may exert significant influence over areas outside of its boundaries; however, the US government is not the ruling body for anything outside of the US and its recognized territories. As a result, it fails one of the basic requirements for being designated an empire in the classical sense.

It's all about puppet governments these days. We're sneaky like that!

[Sueven]

What Winnow said. An empire by subversion is an empire nonetheless.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

What Winnow said. An empire by subversion is an empire nonetheless.

Yes, lets always try and paint America as evil. /snore

[Sueven]

Where did I ever specify that I disagreed with these actions? I am presenting a theory of behavior, not a moral judgement. I'd rather be the manipulater than the manipulated.

[Neost]

International politics is too much of a negotiation to think if it as empire I believe.

We may deal from the strongest standpoint most of the time, but isn't that our government's job? To make the best deal for the American people?

That sounds a bit altruistic considering our checkered relations with other countries as of late but its still a negotiation that we don't always win.

That give and take is what makes it hard for me to think of it as imperialistic.

[Zaelath]

Australians know we're America's bitch, but it's more about our complete inability to defend a country roughly the size of the US (about 90% anyway) with 20 Million people. Not to mention we have 5 times the coastline..

[Adex_Xeda]

Economic cross-ties and nukes abounding are probably the most effective measures for peace than any else.


Nowadays we can easily communicate with each other across the globe. When people start communicating like that they start accepting each other to greater extents.

As the global markets intertie more and more, I bet the trend will be towards the whole earth's population coming together.

There will be a united world government someday. I give it 150 years.

It's probably a good thing. We as world need to focus on improving ourselves.

[Niffoni]

What Winnow said. An empire by subversion is an empire nonetheless.

Yes, lets always try and paint America as evil. /snore

Who said subversion was evil? The romans built an empire by killing all the men, and sowing salt in the earth. You export shitty hamburgers and grease some palms. I dunno, but if I had to pick, I'd be thrilled to be America's bitch. All Sueven said was that it qualifies as an empire. Historically, there's almost always one.

[Metanis]

Don't forget Marlboro.

[Bubba Grizz]

Would you classify the Catholic Church as an empire then?

[Sirton]

Where did I ever specify that I disagreed with these actions? I am presenting a theory of behavior, not a moral judgement. I'd rather be the manipulater than the manipulated.

Sueven

agree