[Lost Dutchman]

I know that having a small scattering of islands in the Pacific, a slice of Cuba, and Puerto Rico technically makes us an empire. I did not realize it was our empire that made us mighty. Or was it more important for the author to compare America to Rome as an empire vs America to Rome as a State.

[Dick Bachert]

The nature of empire is far more politically correct today than in ages past.

We have US military scattered all over the bloody globe, making it is more de facto than de jure just in case we DO have to move to the level of de jure should the need arise.