The US does have some forms of Empire, but it’s economic. The US was an imperial power for s very short period, beginning with the Spanish-American war, and ending in 1946 when the Philippines being granted independence. While we have some overseas possessions, they are voluntary on the part of their populations.

Spare me the drag of debunking the Puerto Rico nonsense. When we talk of setting them on their own the population protests. They are quite happy with sitting down there drawing their welfare checks. There is a very small number who want to be independent, and a very small number who want to be a state. The deal they have as a commonwealth is what they want.

And yes, the early republic wasn’t an empire. Rome actually spent most of its early years marching up the road to another city, making war, getting beat, and heading back home. But they kept at it. They were not after more ground for crops or a few barbarians for the circus, they honestly believed (I think) in the days of the early republic that expansion and empire were their manifest destiny.

Still, in spite of a few setbacks, 2000 years is a pretty good record. Heck, even the 1000 years of the Byzantine empire is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t think it takes anything away from either the USA or the Romans when I note we’ve been a world power for only 70 years. Anybody who calls us an empire might do well to look up what an actual empire was capable of and how long it lasted.

– Max

I submit the most famous Caesar would not be Nero (interesting choice though, given current politics) but rather Julius Caesar. Or perhaps Caesar Augustus (Octavian).

Also you would likely agree that there is a difference between the “fall” of an empire, and its “decline.”

Regarding your math on the Roman Empire, c’mon. You can’t fool an old fool.

The early Republic was hardly an empire. And when Diocletian and later Constantine split the old and failing empire, although it retained the name, it was hardly the same empire. The Byzantine Empire may indeed have lasted a thousand years, but the old Roman Empire of the west suffered the Dark ages and ravages of invaders for most of those thousand years.

Empires come and go. There is no timetable. Some last longer, some don’t. But they all have eventually failed. They usually fail mostly from within, rather than from an outside enemy. It would be better for us if our current empire continued. But circumstances are building against that. Thankfully, there are many countries that are exceptionally successful, without being imperial. May we be one.

Here is a quickie link on “empires” and their longevity:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/155/25992.html

Cheers

“Nature abhors a vacuum” is true not only in the scientific world but in the political one as well. Anyone that thinks things are going to remain status quo (whatever THAT is) let alone improve upon our withdrawal from current commitments or reduction/shrinkage in our forward “footprint” around the world–military or otherwise–is in for the proverbial rude awakening. The only question in my mind is whether or not Obama will put us too far behind the power curve to recover before we rid ourselves of this maleovent fool.

Rome’s empire actually started with the Roman Republic for about 500 years, followed by the Empire years from the rise of Augustus until about 400AD, when the Western Empire fell. The remaining Eastern empire, aka the Byzantine Empire, stuck around for another thousand years until they were overrun by the Ottoman Turks in 1453.

So that, let’s see, 1453 + 500, call that almost 2000 years worth of Empire.

We’ve been at it, what, 70? Folks are getting pretty uptight given we’re just getting *started*!

– Max

Max Boot – hardly a lefty – willingly uses the term “imperialism” to describe US policy.
Link

Even Charles Krautenhamer tells us, “People are now coming out of the closet on the word ‘empire.’” Mark Styen quoted above also accepts the US as an empire, albeit a benevolent one. (Sort of like Kipling’s The White Man’s Burden I suppose.)

And Rome was hardly the only empire. There have been very many, but are no longer. They are difficult if not impossible to sustain indefinitely.

Most here admire the British and their former empire. Noted British historian, Niall Ferguson believes our US Empire to be much more closely related to the former British Empire than the Roman.

Of course having military bases in over 40 countries worldwide certainly gives one indication of “empire.”

All for now.