I’ve thought about this too. My conclusion is that the architects of American Empire spent so much energy obscuring reality that their heirs believed the illusion. The heirs think the postwar US is still a “democracy” or a “country” rather than the greatest empire of all time. https://t.co/Ov8M1jJ9eL
And even though the major powers are not at war with one another, military spending continues to increase. In other words, nations continue to prepare for potentially large wars. The world spends slightly less than $2 trillion each year on maintaining and arming militaries. One-third is spent by the United States alone, a number that is larger than
... See moreThis is, it’s worth emphasizing, unique. The British weren’t confused as to whether there was a British Empire. They had a holiday, Empire Day, to celebrate it. France didn’t forget that Algeria was French. It is only the United States that has suffered from chronic confusion about its own borders. The reason isn’t hard to guess. The country percei
... See moreThe United States, in 1776, had the first modern uprising against an existing empire, and as a nation it does not welcome the dangers and complexities of global responsibility. It did not become an empire by choice, nor can it abandon the reality of what it is.
In other words, if you looked up at the end of 1945 and saw a U.S. flag overhead, odds are that you weren’t seeing it because you lived in a state. You were more likely colonized or living in occupied territory. Probably somewhere in the Pacific.
Like U.S. citizens in general, most MAIN employees believed we were doing countries favors when we built power plants, highways, and ports. Our schools and our press have taught us to perceive all of our actions as altruistic. Over the years, I've repeatedly heard comments like, "If they're going to burn the U.S. flag and demonstrate against o
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