I've heard this question debated for a very long time now, so I'll throw it out to you all. Do you think America is an empire? Why or why not? What do you think are the ramifications if you believe America is?
Take care all.
Is America An Empire?
I've heard this question debated for a very long time now, so I'll throw it out to you all. Do you think America is an empire? Why or why not? What do you think are the ramifications if you believe America is?
Take care all.
Oh, it's not an empire...
Yet.
A political unit having an extensive territory or comprising a number of territories or nations and ruled by a single supreme authority.
For this definition to hold, the US would have to be directly ruling other non-US nations. So far as I understand the definition, that means the US's laws would apply to other nations; other nations would be required to pay the US taxes; things of that sort. This isn't the case.
The dominion of an emperor; the territory or countries under the jurisdiction and dominion of an emperor (rarely of a king), usually of greater extent than a kingdom, always comprising a variety in the nationality of, or the forms of administration in, constituent and subordinate portions; as, the Austrian empire.
In this case, an emperor (which the US doesn't have) would have to be the ruler of a number of nations (which isn't the case). Importantly, those nations comprise "a variety in nationality". This is common sense. If for example the US conquered Mexico and added it to the US, that's be an empire, because Mexico is of different nationality than the US. China for example conquered Tibet and made it part of China; I think you could argue that China is empire-like.
But it's a grey area, at some point. If China says "Tibet is part of China", and Tibet says "We're our own country", who's right? Beats me.
It depends on how you define empire, I suppose. In a simple view, an empire is one nation holding control over several others. Rome is a typical example of this. The US has military bases all around the world. No other country holds a military base in the US. The US has a strong presence throughout the world, and is unique in having such, but the nature of the US presence is not that of an invading conqueror, but that of a raiding special police unit. The US doesn't seek to militarily subdue other nations, but to ensure that they behave themselves.
I don't think the US is a military based empire. Times have changed since 400 AD. Is war the only means of conquest? Does an empire have to spread by the sword alone? There are other ways to control other nations: economic and cultural. The US is a cultural empire, and it's this that fosters the greatest resentment throughout the world. Invade Panama and depose Noriega, and the world scarcely blinks, but bring a Big Mac to Saudi Arabia and the world cries oppression. For better or worse, the US culture is homogenizing the world.
Knock yourselves down.
Though, you can no longer Super size that Big Mac.... but that's a whole other story.
I'd have to agree. America is certainly a cultural Empire, and we are probably still an Economic Empire, but with more and more jobs going overseas, that seems primed to change and lead to a much more balanced economy.
Take care all.
In the barest sense of the word, "empire" implies that one country uses force against another. No one is forced to adopt US culture. People do it voluntarily, or not at all. We might be a "cultural empire" if we purposefully emigrated mass numbers of people into a region in order to populate the area with Americans and thereby make the area American. We don't do this, that I know of.
No one is forced to buy goods from the US. If people buy them, it's because our goods are something they want. Trade is a mutual agreement to exchange goods. The US is under no obligation to trade with anyone, and no one is under any obligation to trade with the US. If our trade policies influence other nations, it's because they allow it to happen, or because they're not as good as us at producing something. This doesn't equate to force.
Empire? No. That word is outdated. The proper description is hegemon.
Smile even though its breaking
It's not an empire in the truest sense of the word. But you can't deny that American influence is disproportionate to its size.
America WAS an Empire, in the late 19th century up until around WWI. When they had the Philippines, and such. But when the Philippines won their war of independence, America no longer was one.
Oh, USA (America is the CONTINENT!) is the big evil capitalist empire from hell! Didn't you know?
This Post Was Brought To You By The Worldwide Satire Consortium.
But, seriously, with this mess with freezing people's assets after the WTC-attack, doesn't many non-US territories follow much of USA's beck and call? Well, there are some notable exceptions, of course, but still. Or maybe the politicians are just evil.
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The US isn't an empire in any sense of the word. They're not forcing their rule onto anyone else in any way, not culturally, economically, or politically. They are definitely influential, and powerful, but that alone doesn't make them an empire.
Empires don't have to spread by the sword, no. If they threatened Canada to join them in such a way that if we didn't agree our economy would be ruined, and we complied, then they would be an empire. That's not happening anywhere.
Noriega would say different, EmeraldOriginally posted by Emerald Aeris
The US isn't an empire in any sense of the word. They're not forcing their rule onto anyone else in any way, not culturally, economically, or politically. They are definitely influential, and powerful, but that alone doesn't make them an empire.
Empires don't have to spread by the sword, no. If they threatened Canada to join them in such a way that if we didn't agree our economy would be ruined, and we complied, then they would be an empire. That's not happening anywhere.
America is a world-power, not an empire.
When fighting monsters, be wary not to become one yourself... when gazing into the abyss, bear in mind that the abyss also gazes into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
The rightful owner of this Ciddie can kiss my arse! :P
What exactly is the difference?
Some would say that "world-power" is just a modern definition of empire.
Take care all.
Empire means that other countries would have to be taken over, and ruled by Bush. Being a world power means having a strong economy, powerful army, a lot of influence, etc.
If the US is an empire, what countries do they rule? What country, other than the US, has Bush as their leader right now?
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