Quote Originally Posted by GHoSToKeR
"It's [America] an empire that has all the functions of military empire, if you like. It has the capacity to project itself in terms of force over vast geographical distances. It's an empire that is remarkably adept at spreading its culture globally. In that sense, it's an empire with almost unrivaled military and cultural power. But when it comes to what might be called imperial governance, it is an empire which, precisely because it doesn't recognize its own existence, consistently underperforms"

"American people aren't very informed regarding the actions of their government. Benjamin Franklin once said "We have simple solutions, what we need are simple problems," and I think those words still ring true today.
America is a massive, complex entity which can no longer live in the vacuum George Washington once prescribed. Like it or not, we can't hide behind the two oceans on our borders forever.
The American people need to get away from the idea that more money, more technology, and less oversight will solve their problems.
I guess what's most astounding to me is the unshakable faith some Americans continue to have in their government after so many miscues, from the Bay of Pigs to the War in Iraq. It's this naive, self-blinding approach which hurts America more than any other single force.
If America really is a superpower, and if it really is an Empire, it will almost certainly crumble from within, not without"

What do you think? Again, i'm not insulting anyone or trying to start an arguement. I am simply posting this as a response to a documentary on the Channel 4 about wether the US is an empire or not, and how/why it ignores the fact that it is if, in fact, it is. I just want your opinions
hmmmm, interesting stuff. Ok, first off, I'm Canadian, not American, so my opinion is only worth 80% here

The past has shown that it is often battle for power within the empire that has taken it down. And this is a high possibility to happen in the near future for the States. The Presidents position no longer there for power, but simply because of politics. They will be the headsman for the nation(not the empire). But they just simply listen to their advisors. Bush is an idiot(sorry if any of you actually like dumbass), and while his moves may not make sense to the general public, because he tries to sell it off for other reasons that are supposedly beneficial for the world. Fact is though, the behind the scenes guy's, are making fat cash for the country. These are well thought out plans, but not to help the world. Thing is though, the power has been handed down from there, can not be returned, and they will continue to fight because it will continually be spread throughout the empire, till a brave man, thinks he can over throw the thrown, makes a bold move for contral, resulting in a chain reaction of chaos from within. Where that would lead in modern times may be uncertain, but it would shatter the empire just the same.

Not sure if that's going to make any sense though... and I'm to fucking lazy to read over it right now.