Our McClellan in the American non-Empire December 1, 2007
Posted by ymarsakar in History, Politics, War.trackback
There are two good articles that should be read, courtesy of Watcher’s Council.
I simply call it the American non-expansionist empire. It is more like Rome’s system of allied city states and provinces than true direct imperial governance and ownership. The only difference is, protectorate provinces like Japan or Germany don’t pay tribute (taxes) or provide troops for America, as they would have done under Rome.
Have Our Copperheads Found Their McClellan in Retired LTG General Sanchez?
American non-expansionist empire.
I like it. Or maybe “Quiet Empire” perhaps?
While, for example, Japan doesn’t pay tribute they do allow the US to greatly expand it’s sphere of influence and suffer some societal negatives (higher crime and angry nationals might be examples) for a reciprocal measure of protection. Both the Russian and British empire employed similar (if very short term) strategies in their 19th century struggle for Asian dominance, though each also forcefully occupied cities as well.
That aside, many that employ the term “empire” in regards to the US are much along the same intellectual wavelength of those that toss around “Nazi” and “fascism” in a similar fashion. It’s a convenient and derogatory term meant to convey tyranny. And it’s usually based on a very limited understanding of what each of these terms truly means which is further compounded by an ideological tunnel vision view of global events.
Tyranny is a subject that deserves to be studied for itself, not just used for political gains.
THe problem with the British was that they could never back up their claims of territorial sovereignty. They tried, but Britain is a sea power, not a land power as was Rome when they gave to the early Britons the fruits of Roman-Greek civilization and security.
WWII and WWI ate up any resources that Britain might have used elsewhere. But that also simply means that Britain ushered in the new Dark Age for their colonies far sooner than Rome ever did.