American Empire is the current sentiment, whether praised or condemned, accepted as inevitable or embraced as a significant opportunity. The assumption that the US already has a world-major status and is headed in the right direction is fundamental to the discussion and is shared by both allies and enemies overseas. Generally, those who argue that the US is an empire point out various reasons, including being the world’s only superpower and encroaching on different nations like Iraq. In contrast, the opposers consider this misleading since it obscures the truth about international relations.
People who believe the US is an empire argue that it is currently the only superpower in the world. In essence, this is because of its superior military prowess, financial might, global influence, mechanical and logical prowess, and many alliances. According to Foner (2019), following the 9/11 attack, the US faced various challenges and recorded political surprises. Nonetheless, they were able to come out strong to defend the nation and sailed through one of the worst economic crises of the Great Depression. Generally, the modern US was built around a democratic republic born of an anti-imperialist revolt.
Other individuals argue that the US is an empire due to its widespread encroachment of territories. Presidents Bush’s second term in office was marked with one primary objective “ending tyranny in the world” (Foner, 2019, p. 1106). As a result, they tried to impose the American leadership style in nations like Iraq to invoke the ideal of freedom. Additionally, the administration placed more efforts into enforcing border control to reduce migration, especially from Mexico, by enacting physical barriers. Ultimately, this led to the invasion of other countries and dictating international relations guidelines, particularly those involving the free movement of people across boundaries.
People who believe that the US is not an empire contend that the ideas of superpower and colonization are misleading and unhistorical conceptions of empire. In essence, it ignores the critical distinctions between empires and various linkages to international difficulties, dimming crucial certainties regarding the future of territories and prospects for realms under the most recent universal framework. For instance, President Bush argued that the war on terrorism in nations like Iraq was not against religion or showcasing US dominance (Foner, 2019). An empire is defined as the exercise of political authority by one organized political unit over a second one independent from and foreign to it. Empires are shaped by various elements, including economy, technology, philosophy, religion, war tactics, and armament. Yet, their fundamentally political core is what gives one entity the final say over another’s crucial political choices. US case was not official possession or the government exercising direct power. The power structure excised by the US is considered a hegemony or the dominant position held by one unit that is not all subject to the same authority and its explicit, recognized leadership.
The idea of a US empire is put forth for many reasons, including being the only superpower and invading other countries like Iraq. In contrast, opponents view this as misleading since it hides the reality of international relations. Generally, full functional authority is a requirement for a real empire. Nonetheless, nations like the US have, in the past, exercised various forms of dominance or even superiority over others without establishing colonies. Moreover, the US strategy is in line with the international system, consisting of independent, coordinated units bound by law regardless of power differences.
Reference
Foner, E. (2019). Give me liberty!: An American history (6th ed.). W W Norton & Company.