Would you rather the US be an Empire or a Democractic Republic?

Answer 1

I'd prefer a constitutional democracy.

Answer 2

The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In point of fact, the U.S. can be both. Britain in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was just such a creature: a democratic parliamentary system that also controlled an empire that ruled almost 40% of the world's landmass.

Nor is it a modern phenomenon. Ancient Athens, arguably the most extreme experiment in democracy, had in the fifth century BC a de facto empire in the Delian League (originally created to fight the Persians, but became a series of smaller city-states in service to Athens).

One can make the argument that the United States has been both, and will continue to do so. The expansion westward towards the pacific was a kind of empire building. The overseas holdings of the Philippines and Cuba in the early 20th century was empire of a sort. Even today, the US holds control of a number of possessions (Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, the Marianas, Somoa, etc.) where the inhabitants do not have the full rights of Americann citizens. One can also make the argument that we are hegemonic empire as well, where nations have ostensible independence and autonomy on some issues, but do the US' bidding in areas of American interest.

So the question is something of a false dichotomy. A nation can paradoxically be a democracy and still wield imperial authority over subject peoples and nations.

Answer 3

A Democratic Republic, where the people have a voice and the government decides what is best for the country based on the opinions and decisions made by the people and for the people. The way things are going now has been slowly developing into and Empire where the head of the country rules and all of the people are forced to follow.

Answer 4

Democratic Republic

Answer 5

Democratic Empirical Republic.

U S A !

Answer 6

Rome exchange into the two republican and imperialist, so the two are no longer mutually unique. NATO is commanded via its contributors on a rotating foundation. the quantity human beings bases exchange right into a advent of the chilly conflict and because then has been of convenience to threatened international locations such as South Korea and Taiwan. I see no colonial ambition in the U.S. regardless of. What I do see is a very costly militia which the government could fairly prefer to diminish lower back in those straitened circumstances, yet for motives of risk-free practices unknown to maximum us, feels no longer able to accomplish that.

Answer 7

Clearly the Repubs / Neocons / Bushies etc etc...would rather this be an Empire.

Bush has slowly stripped American culture of it's freedoms guaranteed to us in the Constitution.

Voicing disagreement and discontent is a part of the foundation of this country, yet Bush has likened it to admitting you're a communist. The sad truth is that he has convinced a group of people in this country, that he's right.

Answer 8

The U.S. is not an empire.

The USSR was an empire, so was Imperial Japan. Great Britain was the most famous recent empire, but they divested themselves of almost everything.

The United States does not try to annex other countries, unlike the Evil Empire... the USSR which, one it got its steel claws into another country, like Czecholsovakia, never let go. During most of our history we have been the opposite: isolationist and a bit xenophobic. We didn't want to be in WWI, and it took the bombing of Pearl Harbor to force us into WWII. When we have helped other countries, we usually leave too quickly.

We are in South Korea, by behest of their government, but you certainly wouldn't say that country is a satellite of the U.S., would you? No, of course not. However, if it were the old USSR "helping", South Korea would never escape its death grip.

With the exception of Hawaii, the U.S. has never attempted to annex another country. We are a nation strictly governed by laws, with checks and balances, huge amounts of judicial oversight, all directed by the most remarkable and intelligent Constitution ever devised by mankind.

Answer 9

The United States is an empire, only it's ruled by two seperate parties. Democracy is an illusion, true democracy is rule by the people, not voting in puppets for each party to put on television.

Answer 10

If the Bush Administration continues their present course of action the United States of America may lose some states.
At least one state is considering withdrawing from the federal union. I think it is Vermont.
I wish New Jersey would consider the same course of action.

Answer 11

Neither.

p.s. By "democratic republic", I assume you mean a communist government, like the old East Germany was a "democratic republic".