''White Man's Burden''-''Manifest Destiny''--''The Great White Fleet of 1906''-- We've had our periods of imperialism, benign imperialism to be sure, but imperialism nonetheless.
Calling our liberation of oppressed peoples "imperialism" is like the Feminazi's calling marital sex "rape". If it doesn't involve a hobnailed boot on a throat demanding tribute, it isn't imperialism.
No doubt. We experimented with Imperialism but that trend was falling out of favor in the world.
That was just "keeping up with the Jone's". The Great White Fleet went around the world after the Russian fleet had tried it (and got hammered at Thushima) in 1904. The U.S. had to demonstrate their capability to keep the Japanese in line in the Pacific, and the Germans from becoming opportunists in the Atlantic. It was also a bit of a demonstration to the British.