This essay mainly discusses whether or not the current US is an imperial empire.
Much of the world’s current politics and its order stem from England. Due to occurrences in the 15th and 16th century, the English language is now dominant and England has provided worldwide ideologies. Globalization occurred in 1914 in Europe which resulted in elite Jewish leaders profitting. However, in 1945 this power changed from England to the United States. This shift in power leads many to wonder if the US would now be considered an empire.
Leiven often refers to the Bush administration while referencing history in order to compare the two. The US imperialism shown now (in Iraq), he says, is “the mark of an empire”. However, the unwillingness of the US to pay the price of a real empire was one reason the European empires collapsed. The US fits the definition of an empire in many ways, but in some it does not.
There are two main points to focus on when discussing an empire in the past. It provided the public with goods, (and therefore was more peaceful) and that it came in various forms.
In essence, Leiven compares today’s US “empire” with those from world history. He questions whether or not the US should be considered an empire, and if so, how it compares to those which have preceded it.