[Pan_Yan]

The total expenditures to maintain our world empire is approximately $1 trillion annually,

From Mirriam-Webster:

Empire
1 a (1) : a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority; especially : one having an emperor as chief of state (2) : the territory of such a political unit b : something resembling a political empire; especially : an extensive territory or enterprise under single domination or control.

You make so many good points, Ron. Then you throw crap like that in the middle so that you and your followers can be marginalized as kooks.

[Captain Kirk]

We have bases in 160 countries. If that isn’t an empire, what is?

[Clump]

The states, once sovereign, are now the territories. Bambi is the emperor. The term empire just might fit.