American military intervention since 1950.

American Empire is a term sometimes used to describe the historical expansionism and the current political, economic, and cultural influence of the United States on a global scale. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 416 pixelsFull resolution (1427 × 742 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/png) American military intervention since 1950 I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 416 pixelsFull resolution (1427 × 742 pixel, file size: 53 KB, MIME type: image/png) American military intervention since 1950 I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ...

It is usually part of a politically charged debate which involves three basic questions:

1. Is the United States currently an empire?
2. If the United States is an empire, when did it become one?
3. If the United States is an empire, is that good or bad?

However, there are also more neutral uses of the term. Scholars debate about what exactly constitutes an empire (from the Latin imperium, denoting military command within the ancient Roman government). ...

Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For a history, see Timeline of United States diplomatic history For the published diplomatic papers, see The Foreign Relations of the United States Federal courts Supreme Court Chief Justice Associate Justices Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts... From 1776 to 2007, there have been hundreds of instances of the deployment of United States military forces abroad and domestically. ... Non-interventionism, the diplomatic policy whereby a nation seeks to avoid alliances with other nations, has had a long history in the United States. ... As the United States grew into a global power, its government has become more involved with other countries. ... United States overseas expansion follows the expansion of U.S. frontiers on the North American continent (see Mexican-American War, War of 1812, and Territorial acquisitions of the United States). ... Pax Americana (Latin: American Peace) is a term to describe the period of relative peace in the Western world since the end of World War II in 1945, coinciding with the dominant military and economic position of the United States. ... A government map, probably created in the mid-20th century, that depicts a simplified history of territorial acquisitions within the continental United States. ...

Definition of empire

The term "empire" has two meanings. In one sense, the U.S. is not an empire, because it lacks a legal emperor, king, despot, or other hereditary head of state. In another sense, the U.S. satisfies the definition of an empire, because it possesses sovereignty over territories which it has not annexed as states, such as Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands.^[1] As of 2006 the U.S. maintains over 702 military bases in 36 foreign countries, and has active-duty military personnel in 135 of the 195 sovereign independent nations of the world^[2], due to practices such as posting active-duty military personnel in US embassies. An emperor is a (male) monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. ... A monarch (see sovereignty) is a type of ruler or head of state. ... Despotism is government by a singular authority, either a single person or tightly knit group, which rules with absolute power. ... For the scientific journal Heredity see Heredity (journal) Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characters from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and... Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... Ceremonies during the annexation of Hawaii. ...

Controversy exists over whether the U.S. consistently behaves like an empire across the world, and if it would be accurate to describe it as such. The term imperialism was coined in the mid-1800s to describe empire-like behavior, carried out by states which might or might not be formal empires.^[3] The Oxford English Dictionary gives three definitions of imperialism: This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Oxford English Dictionary print set The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP), and is generally regarded as the most comprehensive and scholarly dictionary of the English language. ...

1. An imperial system of government; the rule of an emperor, esp. when despotic or arbitrary.
2. The principle or spirit of empire; advocacy of what are held to be imperial interests.
3. Used disparagingly. In Communist writings: the imperial system or policy of the Western powers. Used conversely in some Western writings: the imperial system or policy of the Communist powers.^[4]

The term was first widely used refering to the US by the American Anti-Imperialist League, founded in 1898 to oppose the Philippine-American War. The American Anti-Imperialist League was formed in the United States on June 15, 1898 to fight the American annexation of the Philippines and other U.S. territories, officially called insular areas. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Combatants United States Philippines Commanders William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt Emilio Aguinaldo Strength 126,000 soldiers 80,000 soldiers Casualties 4,324 U.S. soldiers dead, 3,000 wounded 2,000 killed, dead, or wounded suffered by the Philippine Constabulary 16,000 soldiers killed est. ...

"I have read carefully the treaty of Paris, and I have seen that we do not intend to free, but to subjugate the people of the Philippines. We have gone there to conquer, not to redeem. It should, it seems to me, be our pleasure and duty to make those people free, and let them deal with their own domestic questions in their own way. And so I am an anti-imperialist. I am opposed to having the eagle put its talons on any other land." - Mark Twain, New York Herald, Oct. 15, 1900.

Debate exists over whether the U.S. is an empire in the politically-charged sense of the latter two definitions. Some have suggested that this use of the term is an abuse of language. Historian Stuart Creighton Miller argues that the overuse and abuse of the term "imperialism" makes it nearly meaningless as an analytical concept.^[5] Historian Archibald Paton Thorton wrote that "imperialism is more often the name of the emotion that reacts to a series of events than a definition of the events themselves. Where colonization finds analysts and analogies, imperialism must contend with crusaders for and against."^[6] Political theorist Michael Walzer argues that the term "hegemony" is better than "empire" to describe the US' role in the world.^[7] Anti-imperialism is a current within the political left advocating the collapse of imperialism. ... Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 — April 21, 1910),[1] better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American humorist, satirist, writer, and lecturer. ... The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6, 1835 and 1924. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Image:Mwalzer large. ... Hegemony (pronounced or ) (Greek: ) is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ...

American exceptionalism

Stuart Creighton Miller points out that the question of US imperialism has been the subject of agonizing debate ever since the United States acquired formal empire at the end of the nineteenth century during the 1898 Spanish-American War. Miller argues that this agony is because of America’s sense of innocence, produced by a kind of "immaculate conception" view of America's origins. When European settlers came to America they miraculously shed their old ways upon arrival in the New World, as one might discard old clothing, and fashioned new cultural garments based solely on experiences in a new and vastly different environment. Miller believes that school texts, patriotic media, and patriotic speeches on which Americans have been reared do not stress the origins of America's system of government, that these sources often omit or downplay that the Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American... Mary, mother of Jesus as the Immaculate Conception. ... Frontispiece of Peter Martyr dAnghieras De orbe novo (On the New World). Carte dAmérique, Guillaume Delisle, 1722. ...

"United States Constitution owes its structure as much to the ideas of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes as to the experiences of the Founding Fathers; that Jeffersonian thought to a great extent paraphrases the ideas of earlier Scottish philosophers; and that even the allegedly unique frontier egalitarian has deep roots in seventeenth century English radical traditions."^[8]

Philosopher Douglas Kellner traces the identification of American exceptionalism as a distinct phenomenon back to 19th century French observer Alexis de Tocqueville, who concluded by agreeing that the U.S., uniquely, was "proceeding along a path to which no limit can be perceived."^[9] Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ... This article is about John Locke, the English philosopher. ... “Hobbes” redirects here. ... Founding Fathers are persons instrumental in the establishment of an institution, usually a political institution, especially those connected to the origination of its ideals. ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.–4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... Progress of America, 1875, by Domenico Tojetti American exceptionalism (cf. ... For otheruses, see Tocqueville (disambiguation) Alexis de Tocqueville (July 29, 1805 - April 16, 1859) was a French political thinker and historian. ...

American exceptionalism is popular among people within the US,^[10] but its validity and its consequences are disputed. Miller argues that US citizens fall within three schools of thought about the question whether the United States is imperialistic:

• Overly self-critical Americans tend to exaggerate the nation’s flaws, failing to place them in historical or worldwide contexts.
• At the other end of the scale, the tendency of highly patriotic Americans is to deny such abuses and even assert that they could never exist in their country. (As a Monthly Review editorial describes the phenomenon,

"in Britain, empire was justified as a benevolent 'white man’s burden'. And in the United States, empire does not even exist; 'we' are merely protecting the causes of freedom, democracy, and justice worldwide."^[11])

• In the middle are Americans who assert that "Imperialism was an aberration."^[12]

Monthly Review is a socialist magazine published in New York City. ...

First school of thought: "Empire at the heart of US foreign policy"

1898 political cartoon: "Ten Thousand Miles From Tip to Tip" meaning the extension of U.S. domination (symbolized by a bald eagle) from Puerto Rico to the Philippines. The cartoon contrasts this with a map of the smaller United States 100 years earlier in 1798.

Since the Spanish-American War, Marxists and the New Left tend to view imperialism as an unmitigated necessity. US imperialism, in their view, traces its beginning not to the Spanish-American war, but to Jefferson’s purchase of the Louisiana Territory, or even to the displacement of Native Americans prior to the American Revolution, and continues to this day. Historian Sidney Lens argues that Image File history File links 10kMiles. ... Image File history File links 10kMiles. ... This early political cartoon by Ben Franklin was originally written for the French and Indian War, but was later recycled during the Revolutionary War An editorial cartoon, also known as a political cartoon, is an illustration or comic strip containing a political or social message. ... Binomial name Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Linnaeus, 1766) Bald Eagle range Subspecies (Linnaeus, 1766) Southern Bald Eagle Audubon, 1827) Northern Bald Eagle or Washingtons Eagle Synonyms Falco leucocephalus Linnaeus, 1766 The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), also known in the United States as the American Eagle, is a bird of prey found... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American... Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... The New Left is a term used in different countries to describe left-wing movements that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American... The United States in 1810, following the Louisiana Purchase. ... Native Americans are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen Colonies that... Sidney Lens is an American journalist and author, best known for his 1977 book, The Day Before Doomsday, which warns of nuclear annihilation. ...

"the United States, from the time it gained its own independence, has used every available means—political, economic, and military—to help and nurture other nations."^[13]

Numerous U.S. foreign interventions, ranging from early actions under the Monroe Doctrine to 21st-century interventions in the Middle East, are typically described by these authors as imperialistic. Some critics of imperialism have a more positive view of America's early era, however. Prominent conservative writer Patrick Buchanan argues that the modern United States's drive to empire is "far from what the Founding Fathers had intended the young Republic to become."^[14] This latter point of view is often identified with American isolationism, in the tradition of either the Old Right (Buchanan), or libertarianism (for example, Justin Raimondo). From 1776 to 2007, there have been hundreds of instances of the deployment of United States military forces abroad and domestically. ... U.S. President James Monroe The Monroe Doctrine is a U.S. doctrine which, on December 2, 1823, proclaimed that [[European powers would no longer colonize or interfere with the affairs of the nations of the Americas. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Patrick Buchanan Patrick Joseph Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), usually known as Pat Buchanan, is an American conservative journalist and a well known television political commentator. ... Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military and a political policy of economic nationalism (protectionism). ... Paleoconservatism (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) is an anti-communist and anti-authoritarian[1] right wing movement based primarily in the United States that stresses tradition, civil society and classical federalism, along with familial, religious, regional, national and Western identity. ... This article does not adequately cite its references. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

1900 Campaign poster for the Republican Party. "The American flag has not been planted in foreign soil to acquire more territory but for humanity's sake.", president William McKinley, July 12, 1900. On the left hand, we see how the situation allegedly was in 1896, before McKinley's victory during the elections: "Gone Democratic: A run on the bank, Spanish rule in Cuba". On the right hand, we see how the situation allegedly is in 1900, after four years of McKinley's rule: "Gone Republican: a run to the bank, American rule in Cuba" (the Spanish-American War took place in 1898).

Lens describes American exceptionalism as a myth, which allows any number of "excesses and cruelties, though sometimes admitted, usually [to be] regarded as momentary aberrations."^[15] Linguist and left-wing political critic Noam Chomsky argues that it is the result of a systematic strategy of propaganda, maintained by an "elite domination of the media" which allows it to "fix the premises of discourse and interpretation, and the definition of what is newsworthy in the first place, and they explain the basis and operations of what amount to propaganda campaigns."^[16] Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x787, 224 KB) Summary 1900 US campaign poster Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1061x787, 224 KB) Summary 1900 US campaign poster Licensing This image is in the public domain in the United States. ... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... William McKinley Jr. ... July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... Year 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar, but a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... Map of the West Indies, Mexico and New Spain with Cuba in the center drawn by Herman Moll in 1736. ... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American... Avram Noam Chomsky (Hebrew and Yiddish: אברם נועם חומסקי) , Ph. ...

This critical historical view is usually continued to present US foreign policy. Historian Andrew Bacevich, drawing on the work of Charles Beard and William Appleman Williams, argues that the end of the Cold War did not mark the end of an era in US history, because US foreign policy did not fundamentally change after the Cold War. US foreign policy has long been driven by the desire to expand access to foreign markets in order to benefit the domestic economy. The moralistic reasons given for American foreign intervention mask the true economic reasons, and Bacevich warns that US economic imperialism (in the guise of globalization) may not be in the best interests of the United States.^[17] Andrew J. Bacevich is the author of The New American Militarism: How Americans are Seduced by War(2005)and American Empire: The Realities and Consequences of US Diplomacy(2002). ... Charles Austin Beard (November 27, 1874 _ September 1, 1948) was an American historian, author with James Harvey Robinson of The Development of Modern Europe (1907). ... William Appleman Williams (1921-1990) was one of the 20th centurys most prominent historians of American diplomacy. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... A KFC franchise in Kuwait. ...

This is a common extension of the critique of American empire; Buchanan and, from the opposite side of the political spectrum, prominent left-wing writer Tariq Ali, argue independently but similarly that acts of terrorism against the United States, such as the September 11, 2001 attacks, are the direct result of the U.S.'s ill-fated attempts to help others out of the nation's endless reserve of kindness and goodwill. Tariq Ali Tariq Ali (Urdu: طارق علی) (born October 21, 1943) is a British writer, historian and filmmaker. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

Ethnic studies professor Ward Churchill is almost alone, however, in extending this critique further to argue that at least some of the victims of the 9/11 attacks - the "little Eichmanns" who "formed a technocratic corps at the very heart of the US' global financial empire – the 'mighty engine of profit' to which the military dimension of U.S. policy has always been enslaved" - deserved their fates.^[18] A different extension is more common; many critics of US imperialism argue, like Marxist sociologist John Bellamy Foster, that the United States' sole-superpower status makes it now the most dangerous world imperialist.^[19] Photo of Ward Churchill from University of Colorado faculty web page Ward LeRoy Churchill (born October 2, 1947) is an American writer, Vietnam veteran, political activist, and academic. ... John Bellamy Foster is an editor of the Monthly Review, a prominent socialist magazine. ...

As the surviving superpower at the end of the Cold War, the U.S. could focus its assets in new directions, the future "up for grabs" according to former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Paul Wolfowitz in 1991.^[20] This list, first published by Arundhati Roy in the Manchester Guardian (10/23/01), shows countries the U.S. has been at war with - and bombed - since World War II: China (1945-46, 1950-53), Korea (1950-53), Guatemala (1954, 1967-69), Indonesia (1958), Cuba (1959-60), Vietnam (1961-73), the Belgian Congo (1964), Laos (1964-73), Peru (1965), Cambodia (1969-70), Nicaragua (the 1980s), El Salvador (the 1980s), Grenada (1983), Libya (1986), Panama (1989), Iraq (1991-99, 2003-07), Bosnia (1995), Sudan (1998), Yugoslavia (1999), and Afghanistan (2001-07). From this, the years 1947-49, 1955-57, 1974-79, 1990 and 2000 were the only peaceful ones. 73% of the years, from World War II's end to 1989, the U.S. bombed somewhere. After the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 (not counting conflicts like Colombia where governing elites request help against rebellious subpopulations) the U.S. bombed at least 88% of the years into 2007. For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... This is a position for policy in the defense department. ... Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American former academic and government official. ... Suzanna Arundhati Roy[1] (born November 24, 1961) is an Indian novelist, writer and activist. ... The Guardian was also the name of a U.S. television series. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Korea (Korean: 한국 in South Korea or ì¡°ì„  in North Korea, see below) is a geographic area, civilization, and former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. ... Motto: Travail et Progres (Work and Progress) The Belgian Congo Capital Léopoldville/Leopoldstad Political structure Colony Governor  - 1908-1910 Baron Wahis  - 1946-1951 Eugène Jacques Pierre Louis Jungers  - 1958-1960 Henri Arthur Adolf Marie Christopher Cornelis History  - Established 15 November, 1908  - Congolese independence 30 June, 1960 The Belgian... Motto none Anthem Intermeco Bosnia and Herzegovina() on the European continent()  —  [] Capital (and largest city) Sarajevo Official languages Bosnian Croatian Serbian Government Parliamentary democracy  -  Presidency members NebojÅ¡a Radmanović1 Haris Silajdžić2 Željko KomÅ¡ić3  -  Chairman of the Council of Ministers Nikola Å pirić  -  High Representative 4 Independence... This article needs additional references or sources to facilitate its verification. ... East German construction workers building the Berlin Wall, 20 November 1961. ...

From this, the U.S.S.R.'s existence does not explain the U.S. pattern of war making, except negatively, as a deterrent. What the U.S. may have faced all along is a series of nationalist insurgencies -- for want of a better explanation covering both periods, during and after the Cold War. These were against U.S. acquiring natural resources by political device, colonialism by proxy, whereby the U.S. organizes and arms elite minorities in those countries, who then let U.S. companies and military in. Soviet use of the same device, in this view, was largely reactive. The nearly inevitable insurgencies against the elites, and U.S. or Soviets, were (and continue to be for the U.S.) linked out of necessity, with religion or political ideology being only secondary. Mere practical necessity explains much. Soviet advisors helped set up the Kuomintang who then allied with the U.S. when Japan threatened. Ho Chi Minh patterned his Vietnamese constitution on the U.S. until turning to the Soviets and Chinese for aid against the U.S. Only immediate, practical necessity explains such apparently fundamental shifts in ideology. It has been suggested that Benign colonialism be merged into this article or section. ... A proxy war is a war where two powers use third parties as a supplement or a substitute for fighting each other directly. ... The Kuomintang of China (abbreviation KMT) (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Tongyong Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chung1-kuo2 Kuo2-min2-tang3)[1], also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, now on Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in... Hồ Chí Minh   (May 19, 1890 – September 2, 1969) was a Vietnamese revolutionary and statesman, who later became Prime Minister (1946–1955) and President (1955–1969) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. ...

U.S. military bases abroad as the neo-colony

Further information: List of United States military bases

Proponents who claim that the U.S.A. is indeed an empire point to American military bases abroad (which currently number over 700), even when they might not be popular with the vast majority of that nation as a sign of an empire. Some see another sign of an empire in the Unified Combatant Command, a military group composed of forces from two or more services that has the entire world divided into five areas of military responsibility. One author, Chalmers Johnson, notes that America's version of the colony is the military base.^[21] Professor Chip Pitts accepts U.S. empire as an empirical reality, but argues that empire is profoundly at odds with the better instincts of U.S. citizens and policymakers, and that rejecting neo-colonialism by military means such as those employed during the Iraq War, is a prerequisite to restoring domestic civil liberties and human rights that have been infringed upon by the imperial presidency -- while simultaneously being crucial to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond.^[22] For Iraqis, that can't happen soon enough. When asked directly, 82–87% of the Iraqi populace is opposed to US occupation and want US troops to leave. 47% of Iraqis support attacking US troops.^[23] This is a list of United States military bases. ... A Unified Combatant Command is composed of forces from two or more services, has a broad and continuing mission, and is organized either on a geographical basis (known as Area Of Responsibility, AOR) or on a functional basis. ... Chalmers Ashby Johnson is a professor emeritus of the University of California, San Diego. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Chip Pitts is an international attorney, investor/entrepreneur, and law educator who serves as a volunteer leader of a number of civil liberties and human rights organizations. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... The Imperial Presidency is a term used from the 1960s and made popular by the historian Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. ...

Theories of U.S. empire

Left-wing journalist Ashley Smith divides theories of the U.S. as an empire into 5 broad categories: "liberal" theories, "social-democratic" theories, "Leninist" theories, theories of "super-imperialism", and "Hardt-and-Negri-ite" theories.^[24] According to Smith, Ashley Smith is a U.S. marxist activist, journalist and editor. ...

• A "liberal" theory asserts that U.S. policies are the products of particular elected politicians (e.g. the Bush administration) or political movements (e.g. neo-conservatism). These policies are not an essential product of U.S. political or economic structures, and are straightforwardly counter to U.S. interests. Liberal theories are held by most Democratic critics of U.S. imperialism, whose proposed solution is typically electing better officials.
• A "social-democratic" theory asserts that imperialistic U.S. policies are the products of the excessive influence of certain sectors of U.S. business and government, the arms industry in alliance with military and political bureaucracies and sometimes other industries such as oil and finance, a combination often referred to as the "military-industrial complex". The complex is said to benefit from war profiteering and the looting of natural resources, often at the expense of the public interest. The proposed solution is typically unceasing popular vigilance in order to apply counter-pressure. Johnson holds a version of this view; other versions are typically held by right-wing anti-interventionists, such as Buchanan, Bacevich, and Raimondo.
• A "Leninist" theory asserts that imperialistic U.S. policies are the products of the unified interest of the predominant sectors of U.S. business, which need to ensure and manipulate export markets for both goods and capital. Business, on this Marxist view, essentially controls government, and international military competition is simply an extension of international economic competition, both driven by the inherently expansionist nature of capitalism. Smedley Butler, a retired general in the United States Marine Corps, took this view when he said that his job had been to be a "muscle man for big business." The proposed solution is typically revolutionary economic change. The theory was first systematized during the World War I by Russian Bolsheviks Vladimir Lenin and Nikolai Bukharin, although their work was based on that of earlier Marxists, socialists, and anarchists. Ali, Chomsky, Foster, Lens, and Zinn each hold some version of this view, as does Smith himself.
• A theory of "super-imperialism" is similar to the Leninist theory in its view of the roots of imperialism, but asserts that global economic interdependence has superseded the association of businesses with a single country, so that among developed nations economic and military cooperation is now more common than competition. The central conflict in modern imperialism is said to be between the global core and the global periphery rather than between imperialist powers. Political scientists Leo Panitch and Samuel Gindin hold versions of this view.
• A "Hardt-and-Negri-ite" theory asserts that the Leninist theory was valid when formulated, but that the U.S. is no longer imperialistic in the classic sense, because the world has passed the era of imperialism and entered a new era. (However, see note.^[25]) This new era still has colonizing power but has moved from national military forces based on an economy of physical goods to networked biopower based on an informational and affective economy. On this view, the U.S. is central to the development and constitution of a new global regime of international power and sovereignty, termed "Empire", but the "Empire" is decentralized and global, and not ruled by one sovereign state; literary theorist Michael Hardt and philosopher Antonio Negri argue that "the United States does indeed occupy a privileged position in Empire, but this privilege derives not from its similarities to the old European imperialist powers, but from its differences."^[26] Hardt and Negri draw on the theories of Spinoza, Foucault, Deleuze, and Italian autonomist marxists. Critical international relations theorist James Der Derian and philosopher Jean Baudrillard hold related though less systematic views, as do many in the traditions of postcolonialism, postmodernism and globalization theory.

Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... The Bush administration includes President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Bushs Cabinet, and other select officials and advisors. ... Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... President Dwight Eisenhower famously referred to the military-industrial complex in his farewell address. ... A war profiteer is any person or organization that makes profits (rightly or wrongly) from warfare or by selling weapons and other goods to one or even both of the parties at war in their own or in foreign countries. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... It has been suggested that Definitions of capitalism be merged into this article or section. ... Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed The Fighting Quaker and Old Gimlet Eye, was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps and, at the time of his death, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Bolshevik Party Meeting. ... “Lenin” redirects here. ... Nikolai Bukharin Nikolai Ivanovich Bukharin (Russian: ), (October 9, 1888 [O.S. September 27] – March 15, 1938) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and intellectual, and later a Soviet politician. ... In World Systems Theory, the core countries are the industrialised capitalist countries on which periphery and semi-periphery countries depend. ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... Leo Panitch is professor of political science at York University, Toronto. ... Michael Hardt is an American literary theorist and political philosopher based at Duke University. ... Antonio Negri (born 1933 in Padua) is an Italian moral and political philosopher. ... Biopower was a term originally coined by French philosopher Michel Foucault to refer to the practice of modern states and their regulation of their subjects through an explosion of numerous and diverse techniques for achieving the subjugations of bodies and the control of populations. Foucault first used it in his... ... In the context of international relations and diplomacy, power (sometimes clarified as international power, national power, or state power) is the ability of one state to influence or control other states. ... Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... Baruch Spinoza Benedictus de Spinoza (November 24, 1632 - February 21, 1677), named Baruch Spinoza by his synagogue elders and known as Bento de Spinoza or Bento dEspiñoza in the community in which he grew up. ... See: Léon Foucault (physicist) Foucault pendulum Michel Foucault (philosopher) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Gilles Deleuze (January 18, 1925 - November 4, 1995) was a major French philosopher of the late 20th century. ... Autonomism, or Autonomist Marxism is a left-wing political movement and theory. ... James Der Derian is a Watson Institute research professor of international studies and professor of political science at Brown University. ... Jean Baudrillard (July 29, 1929 – March 6, 2007) (IPA pronunciation: [1]) was a French cultural theorist, philosopher, political commentator, and photographer. ... Post-colonialism refers to the intellectual field opened up by Edward Saids book Orientalism. ... Postmodernist architecture of the Stata Center by Frank Gehry Sydney Opera House The term Postmodernism (sometimes referred to as Pomo, Po-Mo, or PoMo [1], [2], [3]) was coined in the early 1960s to describe a dissatisfaction with modern architecture, founding the postmodern architecture. ... Global justice is a concept in political philosophy denoting justice between societies or between individuals in different societies, as opposed to within a specific society. ...

Second school of thought: "US empire never existed"

Many citizens of the United States, however, defend the historical role of the US against allegations of imperialism or other "evil." This is especially common among prominent mainstream political figures; former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, for example, has said: The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is a U.S. politician and businessman, who was the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford from 1975–1977, and the 21st Secretary of Defense under President George W. Bush from 2001–2006. ...

"we don't seek empires. We're not imperialistic. We never have been."^[27]

The early 20th century US occupation of the Philippines, by contrast, is perhaps the most frequently cited evidence that US military intervention abroad had an imperial character. War crimes by US soldiers, conducted by orders from superior military officers, have been documented. General Jacob H. Smith told his officers: Combatants United States Philippines Commanders William McKinley Theodore Roosevelt Emilio Aguinaldo Strength 126,000 soldiers 80,000 soldiers Casualties 4,324 U.S. soldiers dead, 3,000 wounded 2,000 killed, dead, or wounded suffered by the Philippine Constabulary 16,000 soldiers killed est. ... General Jacob Hurd Smith (1840-March 1, 1918) was a controversial United States Army officer best known for an incident in the Philippine-American War, when he served as a Colonel under General J. Franklin Bell in Batangas. ...

"I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn, the more you kill and burn the better it will please me. I want all persons killed who are capable of bearing arms in actual hostilities against the United States."^[28]

Nevertheless, conservative military historian Max Boot defends US actions in the Philippines, pointing out that the "atrocities" committed there were relatively insignificant in scope and circumstance, and defending the US motives, which he views as well-intentioned and ultimately beneficial for both America and the Philippines in the long run. Max Boot (born 1969 in Moscow, Soviet Union) is an American author, editorialist, lecturer and military historian. ...

Boot argues that that the United States altruistically went to war with Spain to liberate Cubans, Puerto Ricans, and Filipinos from their tyrannical yoke. If US troops lingered on too long in the Philippines, it was to protect the Filipinos from European predators waiting in the wings for American withdrawal and to tutor them in American-style democracy. In the Philippines, the US followed its usual pattern: Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American...

"the United States would set up a constabulary, a quasi-military police force led by Americans and made up of local enlisted men. Then the Americans would work with local officials to administer a variety of public services, from vaccinations and schools to tax collection. American officials, though often resented, usually proved more efficient and less venal than their native predecessors... Holding fair elections became a top priority because once a democratically elected government was installed, the Americans felt they could withdraw."

Boot argues that this was far from "the old-fashioned imperialism bent on looting nations of their natural resources." Just as with Iraq and Afghanistan, "some of the poorest countries on the planet", in the early 20th century:

"the United States was least likely to intervene in those nations (such as Argentina and Costa Rica) where American investors held the biggest stakes. The longest occupations were undertaken in precisely those countries--Nicaragua, Haiti, the Dominican Republic--where the United States had the smallest economic stakes... Unlike the Dutch in the East Indies, the British in Malaya, or the French in Indochina, the Americans left virtually no legacy of economic exploitation."^[29]

Stuart Creighton Miller claims that this more patriotic and comprehensive interpretation is no longer heard very often by historians.^[30]

"The Benevolent Empire"

But Boot in fact is willing to use the term "imperialism" to describe United States policy, not only in the early 20th century but "since at least 1803", though this is primarily a simple difference in terminology, since he still argues that US foreign policy has been consistently benevolent.^[31] Boot is not alone; as conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer puts it,, "People are now coming out of the closet on the word 'empire.'" This embrace of empire is made by many neoconservatives, including British historian Paul Johnson, and writers Dinesh D'Souza and Mark Steyn. It is also made by some liberal hawks, such as political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Michael Ignatieff.^[32] American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... Charles Krauthammer Charles Krauthammer (born 13 March 1950), is a neoconservative, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, and commentator. ... This article is about Neoconservatism in the United States, for neoconservatism in other regions, see Neoconservatism (disambiguation). ... Paul Johnson (born Paul Bede Johnson on November 2, 1928 in Manchester, England) is a British Roman Catholic journalist, historian, speechwriter and author. ... Dinesh DSouza (born April 25, 1961 in Bombay, India) is an author and the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. ... Mark Steyn (born 1959) is a Canadian journalist, columnist, and film and music critic. ... War Hawks were those people in the United States prior to the War of 1812 who favored westward expansion and supported a war against Britain to achieve this. ... Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski (born March 28, 1928, Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish-American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman. ... Michael Grant Ignatieff () (born May 12, 1947 in Toronto) is the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons. ...

For example, British historian Niall Ferguson, a professor at Harvard University, argues that the United States is an empire, but believes that this is a good thing. Ferguson has drawn parallels between the British Empire and the imperial role of the United States in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, though he describes the United States' political and social structures as more like those of the Roman Empire than of the British. Ferguson argues that all these empires have had both positive and negative aspects, but that the positive aspects of the US empire will, if it learns from history and its mistakes, greatly outweigh its negative aspects.^[33] Niall Ferguson Niall Ferguson (b. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire. ...

Third school of thought: "Empire was an aberration"

Another point of view admits United States expansion overseas as imperialistic, but sees this imperialism as a temporary phenomenon, a corruption of American ideals or the relic of a past historical era. Historian Samuel Flagg Bemis argues that Spanish-American War expansionism was a short lived imperialistic impulse and "a great aberration in American history", a very different form of territorial growth than that of earlier American history.^[34] Historian Walter LaFeber sees the Spanish-American War expansionism not as an aberration, but as a culmination of United States expansion westward.^[35] But both agree that the end of the occupation of the Philippines marked the end of US empire - they deny that present United States foreign policy is imperialist. Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American... Walter LaFeber (born 1933, Walkerton, Indiana) is Marie Underhill Noll Professor and a Steven Weisse Presidential Teaching Fellow of History at Cornell University. ... Combatants United States Republic of Cuba Philippine Republic Spain Commanders Nelson A. Miles William R. Shafter George Dewey Máximo Gómez Emilio Aguinaldo Patricio Montojo Pascual Cervera Casualties 3,289 U.S. dead (432 from combat); considerably higher although undetermined Cuban and Filipino casualties Unknown[1] The Spanish–American...

Right-wing historian Victor Davis Hanson argues that the US does not pursue world domination, but maintains worldwide influence by a system of mutually beneficial exchanges: It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ... Victor Davis Hanson giving a lecture at Kenyon College. ... Though it is debatable if a planet as complex and diverse as Earth could ever be successfully dominated by a single central authority, the concept of world domination has long been a popular theme in both history and fiction. ...

"If we really are imperial, we rule over a very funny sort of empire... The United States hasn't annexed anyone's soil since the Spanish-American War... Imperial powers order and subjects obey. But in our case, we offer the Turks strategic guarantees, political support — and money... Isolationism, parochialism, and self-absorption are far stronger in the American character than desire for overseas adventurism."^[36]

Liberal internationalists argue that even though the present world order is dominated by the United States, the form taken by that dominance is not imperial. International relations scholar John Ikenberry argues that international institutions have taken the place of empire; In the study of international relations (IR), neoliberalism refers to a school of thought which believes that nation-states are, or at least should be, concerned first and foremost with absolute gains (economic, strategic, etc. ... G. John Ikenberry is a prominent theorist of international relations and United States foreign policy, and a professor at Princeton University. ...

"the United States has pursued imperial policies, especially toward weak countries in the periphery. But U.S. relations with Europe, Japan, China, and Russia cannot be described as imperial... the use or threat of force is unthinkable. Their economies are deeply interwoven... they form a political order built on bargains, diffuse reciprocity, and an array of intergovernmental institutions and ad hoc working relationships. This is not empire; it is a U.S.-led democratic political order that has no name or historical antecedent."^[37]

I.R. scholar Nye argues that US power is more and more based on "soft power", which comes from cultural hegemony rather than raw military or economic force. This includes such factors as the widespread desire to emigrate to the United States, the prestige and corresponding high proportion of foreign students at US universities, and the spread of US styles of popular music and cinema. Thus the US, no matter how hegemonic, is no longer an empire in the classic sense. Joseph Nye (born 1937) is the founder, along with Robert Keohane, of the international relations theory neoliberalism (international relations) developed in their 1977 book Power and Interdependence. ... Soft power is a term used in international relations theory to describe the ability of a political body, such as a state, to indirectly influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies through cultural or ideological means. ...

This point of view might be considered the mainstream or official interpretation of United States history within the US. The United States Information Agency writes that, The United States Information Agency (USIA), which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to what it called public diplomacy. ...

"With the exception of the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867, American territory had remained fixed since 1848. In the 1890s a new spirit of expansion took hold... Yet Americans, who had themselves thrown off the shackles of empire, were not comfortable with administering one. In 1902 American troops left Cuba... The Philippines obtained... complete independence in 1946. Puerto Rico became a self-governing commonwealth... and Hawaii became a state in 1959."^[38]

Cultural imperialism

The debates about the issue of American cultural imperialism are largely separate from the debates about American military imperialism that are the subject of this article. Cultural imperialism is the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, artificially injecting of the culture or language of one nation in another. ...

However, some critics of imperialism argue that cultural imperialism is not independent from military imperialism. Edward Said, one of the founders of the study of post-colonialism, claims that, Edward Wadie Said (Arabic: , transliteration: ) (1 November 1935 – 25 September 2003) was a Palestinian-American literary theorist and outspoken Palestinian activist. ... This article is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

"So influential has been the discourse insisting on American specialness, altruism and opportunity, that imperialism in the United States as a word or ideology has turned up only rarely and recently in accounts of the United States culture, politics and history. But the connection between imperial politics and culture in North America, and in particular in the United States, is astonishingly direct."

He identifies the way non-Americans, particularly non-Westerns, are usually thought of within the US in a tacitly racist manner, in a way that allows imperialism to be justified through such ideas as the White Man's Burden.^[39] Manifestations Slavery · Racial profiling · Lynching Hate speech · Hate crime · Hate groups Genocide · The Holocaust · Armenian Genocide · Pogrom Ethnocide · Ethnic cleansing · Race war Religious persecution · Gay bashing Blood libel · Black Legend Pedophobia · Ephebiphobia Movements Discriminatory Aryanism · Neo-Nazism · Ku Klux Klan National Party (South Africa) American Nazi Party Kahanism · Supremacism Anti... The White Mans Burden is a Eurocentric view of the world used to encourage powerful nations to adopt an imperial role. ...

Opponents of theories of cultural imperialism argue that it is not connected to any kind of military domination. International relations scholar David Rothkop claims that alleged cultural imperialism is the innocent result of globalization, which allows many consumers across the world who desire US products and ideas access to them. A worldwide fascination with the United States has not been forced on anyone in ways similar to what is traditionally described as an empire, differentiating it from the actions of the British Empire and other more easily identified empires throughout history. Rothkop identifies the desire to preserve the purity of one's culture as xenophobic.^[40] A similar analysis can be found in Matthew Fraser's Weapons of Mass Distraction: Soft Power and American Empire (St. Martin's Press, 2005), though Fraser joins the neo-conservative thesis by arguing that America's global cultural influence is a good thing. A KFC franchise in Kuwait. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Matthew Fraser is known for his role in the U.S. Supreme Court case of On April 26, 1983, Fraser delivered a sexually-explicit speech to his fellow students at Bethel High School, prompting disciplinary action from the administration. ... Soft power is a term used in international relations theory to describe the ability of a political body, such as a state, to indirectly influence the behavior or interests of other political bodies through cultural or ideological means. ... Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ...

Economic imperialism

Some very important centrist, capitalist, US leaders, including Presidents of the United States and US Generals, have expressed support for an economic view of war. In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... For the pop band, see Presidents of the United States of America. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ...

"Is there any man, is there any woman, let me say any child here that does not know that the seed of war in the modern world is industrial and commercial rivalry?" - Woodrow Wilson, September 11, 1919, St. Louis.^[41]

"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism." - simultaneously highest ranking and most decorated Marine (including two Medals of Honor) Major General Smedley Butler (also a GOP primary candidate for Senate) 1935.^[42]

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist." - Dwight Eisenhower, Farewell Address, Jan. 17, 1961.

Many commentators have stressed the close relationship between military expansionism and economic hegemony, arguing that warfare is only undertaken in order to obtain profit. Proponents of this point of view suggest that risky expansionist military adventures, current Iraq War excluded, are conspicuously absent from American history, and that, far from being a powerful military country, the US has assiduously avoided war unless it was with a wholly insignificant opponent. Instead, the US prefers to wait on the sidelines until both sides have fought themselves to a stalemate, while profiting by selling arms and other essential services. US actions in both World Wars are cited in support of this view, together with the tendency of the US military to make excessive claims for their weapons systems which are not fulfilled in practice.^{[citation needed]} Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924), was the 28th President of the United States. ... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Enforcer may refer to: A criminal who uses physical force or the threat of physical force to intimidate, injure or even murder those who do not follow the dictates of an organized crime group; a thug. ... Big business is usually used as a pejorative reference to the significant economic and political power which large and powerful corporations (especially multinational corporations), are capable of wielding. ... Elaborate marble facade of NYSE as seen from the intersection of Broad and Wall Streets For other uses, see Wall Street (disambiguation). ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Definitions of capitalism be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States military responsible for providing power projection from the sea,[1] utilizing the mobility of the U.S. Navy to rapidly deliver combined-arms task forces. ... For the computer game, see Medal of Honor (computer game). ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Smedley Darlington Butler (July 30, 1881 – June 21, 1940), nicknamed The Fighting Quaker and Old Gimlet Eye, was a Major General in the U.S. Marine Corps and, at the time of his death, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... A senate is a deliberative body, often the upper house or chamber of a legislature. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... President Dwight Eisenhower famously referred to the military-industrial complex in his farewell address. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890–March 28, 1969), American soldier and politician, was the 34th President of the United States (1953–1961) and supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II, with the rank of General of the Army. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ...

According to this thesis, American power is a temporary and illusory phenomenon. The powerful position which the US occupies in world affairs was handed to it after the World Wars as a result of the disruption of all other major trading countries, and the US has done its best to maintain this position by fostering a 'status quo' during the Cold War. Once this ends, the old Power Blocs in Europe and Asia will reassert themselves.^{[citation needed]}

Notes and references

For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... April 12 is the 102nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (103rd in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Monthly Review is a socialist magazine published in New York City. ... November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 53 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... July 13 is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... This article is about the U.S publication. ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 23 is the 82nd day of the year (83rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (154th in leap years), with 212 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924), was the 28th President of the United States. ... Princeton University is a private coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, in the United States of America. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... Marxism takes its name from the praxis (the synthesis of philosophy and political action) of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ...

See also

... Progress of America, 1875, by Domenico Tojetti American exceptionalism (cf. ... President of the United States, George W. Bush (right) at Camp David in March 2003, hosting the British Prime Minister Tony Blair. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Bush Doctrine is name given to a set of guidelines first unveiled by United States President George W. Bush in a speech given on June 1, 2002. ... The Carter Doctrine was proclaimed by President Jimmy Carter in his State of the Union Address on 23 January 1980. ... A KFC franchise in Kuwait. ... United States overseas expansion follows the expansion of U.S. frontiers on the North American continent (see Mexican-American War, War of 1812, and Territorial acquisitions of the United States). ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... An anachronous map showing areas pertaining to the Spanish Empire at various times over a period exceeding 400 years. ... Map showing states that had communist governments during the Cold War in bright red, and other states the USSR believed to be moving toward socialism in dark red Soviet Empire was a controversial, politically charged and pejorative term used to critically describe the actions and nature of the Soviet Union. ... From 1776 to 2007, there have been hundreds of instances of the deployment of United States military forces abroad and domestically. ... This painting (circa 1872) by John Gast called American Progress is an allegorical representation of Manifest Destiny. ... The military history of the United States spans a period of less than two and a half centuries. ... U.S. President James Monroe The Monroe Doctrine is a U.S. doctrine which, on December 2, 1823, proclaimed that [[European powers would no longer colonize or interfere with the affairs of the nations of the Americas. ... Definition from Oxford English Dictionary: The use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence another country; esp. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC based think tank. ... The Truman Doctrine was a proclamation by U.S. president Harry S. Truman on March 12, 1947. ... The United States have always had a special conception of their relationship toward countries of South and Central America. ... Use of the word American in the English language differs between historical, geographical and political contexts. ... This article is about U.S. actions after September 11, 2001. ... Wolfowitz Doctrine is a pseudo-name given to the 1992 Defense Planning Guidance authored by Paul Wolfowitz and I. Lewis Libby. ...

External links

• Bellah, Robert N. (March 8 2003). "Imperialism, American-style". The Christian Century: 20-25. 
• "America and Empire: Manifest Destiny Warmed Up?". The Economist.  Argues that the U.S. is going through an imperial phase, but like previous phases, this will be temporary, since (they argue) empire is incompatible with traditional U.S. policies and beliefs.
• 9/11 and the American Empire. Retrieved on 2006-05-05. A website that looks at the events of 9/11 which point towards government orchestration with the intention of using mass public fear as a catalyst for creating a stronger American Empire..
• The American Empire Project. Retrieved on 2006-06-10. A series of books from left-wing writers such as Noam Chomsky, critical of the "American Empire".
• An American Question. ''tygerland.net by AS Heath. Retrieved on 2006-06-10. July 25, 2005
• Boot, Max (May 5 2003). "American imperialism? No need to run away from label". USA today.  Argues that "U.S. imperialism has been the greatest force for good in the world during the past century."
• Hitchens, Christopher, Imperialism: Superpower dominance, malignant and benign. Slate.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-10., warns that the U.S.—whether or not you call it an empire—should be careful to use its power wisely.
• Johnson, Paul, America's New Empire for Liberty. Article from conservative writer and historian, argues that the U.S. has always been an empire—and a good one at that.
• Motyl, Alexander J. (July/August 2006). "Empire Falls Alexander J. Motyl". Foreign Affairs.  Two new books attempt to explain U.S. power and policy in imperial terms.
• Empire?. Global Policy Forum. Retrieved on 2006-08-07.
• Niall Ferguson. "Empire Falls". Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 2006-10-01.
• The American Empire:Pax Americana or Pox Americana?. Monthly Review. Retrieved on 2007-03-20.
• Is President Bush Destroying the American Empire? An Update on America's Inadvertent Empire Transcript of presentation by Robert Dujarric on April 14, 2004

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Further reading

• Perkins, John (2004). Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. ISBN 1-57675-301-8. 
• Zepezauer, Mark (2002). Boomerang! : How Our Covert Wars Have Created Enemies Across the Middle East and Brought Terror to America. ISBN 1-56751-222-4. 
• Tremblay, Rodrigue (2004). The New American Empire. Infinty publishing. ISBN 0-7414-1887-8. 
• Card, Orson Scott (2006). Empire. TOR. ISBN 0-7653-1611-0. 
• Odom, William (2004). America's Inadvertent Empire. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300100698. 
• Johnson, Chalmers (2000). Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire. ISBN 0-8050-6239-4. 
• Johnson, Chalmers (2004). The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic. ISBN 0-8050-7004-4. 
• Johnson, Chalmers (2007). Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. ISBN 0-8050-7911-4.