Reply To: Cap and Trade

[HermannH]

Brian H wrote:
P.S. The US is an empire by no definition found in history. That’s “progressive” rhetoric that is nothing more than a ludicrous, egregious, gratuitous, but politically useful insult.

Let’s see:
– 41% of the world’s military budget is spent by the US (5% of population).
– It has military bases in dozens of countries all around the globe.
– It reserves the right to pre-emtively attack countries it feels threatened by (regardless of whether that feeling is actually justified).
– It pressures other countries into joining its wars (‘Coalition of the willing’).

If you look at the CIA world fact book you will find that the US ranks as number 28 in terms of defense spending vs GDP (twice the world average). I did a quick scan of the top 50 countries on that list and I didn’t find many that are shining examples of free and democratic societies.

Also have a good look at the Project for the New American Century. An important part is the last section titled “Associations with Bush administration”.

And of course there is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Empire.

In general, the definition of what constitutes an empire is likely a fluid one. There is a good chance that future generations of historians will lump the current US together with previous empires.

That’s not to say that the world would be a better place if the US were crushed to pieces.