"Hear, hear! Whether we like it or not, we are an empire. Let's step up to that responsibility and make the most of it."
Are you prepared to voluteer for duty in Iraq -- or Syria or Iran or whatever country we decide to invade next? Or, if you are too old, are you prepared to see your sons and daughters drafted for the next war of liberation?
Yes, and yes. Provided we've got an administration and a populace strong enough to hold the reins of empire, and to accrue to themselves the natural advantages that arise from that position.