A Facebook correspondent responds to this post:
If we were imperial, wouldn’t all that roughly $1 trillion in “defense” spending be resulting in us “owning” a few new countries over the decades — like the former British Empire did?
Oh, I think we do – but because we’re the product of colonial Britain, Spain, and France, the American public is fairly allergic to the term “imperial”. So we try to operate behind the scenes (for example, the Shah of Iran), and keep a few “territories” which perhaps fit the bill of being owned. Then things blow up and the natives get their hate on and it’s all such a godawful mess….
Then there’s the inevitable corruption and waste for which we must pay. And don’t forget the existential threats that Marco Rubio claims we’re facing … or was that Lindsey Graham? I can’t keep track of who’s more afraid of the outside world these days.
