Do you think the Americans are building an Empire, or do you think they don't want one?

Answer 1

I think they are building one, all the powerful nations of Europe did it, so why not America? I really think that all the powerful nations build one at some time in their history!

Answer 2

I think they are currently the empirical power in the world though empire building seems to have changed a bit since the Romans, the Spanish, and the British were doing it. The nature of Empires changes like everything else after all. They are still fairly new at it having really only been at it for about 60 years so lets see how it goes.

Answer 3

The US government is mired in a Mid East mess. Its balance of payments is a catastrophe and the Republicans cannot come up with a decent exit strategy from all this bloodshed and expense. Many Americans are against the war and even against the power of the Federal Government. If the US ends up with colonies or dependencies out of this it will not be an Empire but a liability they cannot decently get rid of.

Answer 4

OF course- already. It's a corporate empire combining globalisation. It already has globally dispersed military installations as well as most of the largest multi-nationals which are already present in most countries.
The only difference between America and past colonies is that it offers very little culturally or civically, whereas the French, British and Roman and to a point Catholic, offered language, law, different governments, civil works, education, public health, sanitation and many other highly influential and beneficial concepts, not pre-existing in pre-colonial countries to the same degree as the Colonising nation.

One example is the railway network of India. The British Empire built such as massive infrastructure program, wherever in the world do we see the Americans accomplish something similar.

If you're a former Coloniser- walk proud- those former colonies have much to thank for and I've lived in most- they're far worse now than under the Empire- and often the natives will say the same thing.

Answer 5

does the president want one, or do the people want one? two different questions probably.

it's too a global world now for it to be possible. the Spanish didn't have to deal with world politics when they built their empire in the 1400s-1500s. but these days with the media, we can't just run off to a place, conquer it, and then have people find out when it's too late to stop us.

also, we don't have a big enough army. we are struggling with Afghanistan and Iraq as it is.

Perhaps the US dreamed of building an empire before the Cold War, but it's just not an option anymore.

besides, who wants to have to take care of so much territory? people would want to know how we would pay for it all, and if their taxes would be raised.

Answer 6

America is not building an empire, at least not with a 1.1 trillion dollar debt, in addition to a 62 billion dollar social security debt. America owes a lot of money. You can't build an empire if you have negative cashflow.

Answer 7

America maybe a super power and other nations around the world do rely on them for money and food. If they are like Rome or Spain was in there ruling empire of History. Then just like any nation with that type of Power they will loose it and fall to there knees and have to rebuild it or rely on someone else as well!

Answer 8

I think Bush wants an empire but the American people don't.

Answer 9

I am responding to one of the answers above. The british didnt build the railways to improve the lot of the the Indians. They built it to move their troops around the huge country learning lessons from the sepoy mutiny of 1857 where they suffered greatly when they couldnt move troops loyal to them to places where the mutiny was going on. If colonialism is so good, why noone said anything against the colonialists leaving? Why no country however poor, hasnt willingly become a colony? Every colonial country should be ashamed of the atrocities it commited. Every free country should guard itself from being colonised, politically, militarily or economically.

Answer 10

A financial empire perhaps