[centurion316]

I agree with everything you say except for the notion that America is an Imprerialist power. I think that we are nothing of the sort. We have withdrawn from every conquest we have ever made from 1865 to the present day. Where we remain, we remain at the invitation of the soverign power and on conditions that they have laid down. We are, and have been since our earliest days, a trading power. When we use force, we use it to impose conditions of free trade and commerce. From this we have become the most powerful and most wealthly nation on Earth. Why would we wish to be imperialist - it just doesn’t pay.

[oneolcop]

I believe I said we have an imperialist government. I don't believe we are an imperialist power, precisely because though we've conquered many countries, we've always tried to give their people their freedom.

My problem is that the government acts like an imperial government to its own people.