Does America have an empire?

Does America have an empire? America doesn't receive foreign tribute, right? It doesn't have colonies. In what sense does America have an empire?

Individualist:

It doesn't have colonies.

What do you think NATO is all about?

Of all the currencies that are pegged to another, what do they always choose to peg to? The dollar. We have an economic empire, and we're witnessing the heyday of its decay. But thats beside the point. Tell all the South American countries that we're not an empire. They'll spit in your face. They feel as though they're our pawns, as we always tell them what to do with 'peace envoys' and 'foreign aid'. We give aid to columbia, on the condition that they spend it all fighting drugs. That is empirism, to an extent.

We also do have all the things you state we dont.

Individualist:

America doesn't receive foreign tribute

What are all the purchasers of T-bills doing then? They're giving us their money in exchange for our empty promises... i call that tribute.

Individualist:

It doesn't have colonies

Tell that to the 100+ countries around the world with our soldiers based in them. Especially Iraq and Afghanistan. We dont call it colonies. We call it democracy (so long as we agree with every move you make). I call it colonization.

 

GilesStratton:

Individualist:

It doesn't have colonies.

What do you think NATO is all about?

Protecting freedom from the evil decadent Soviets/Islamists/any arbitrary group by bombing people.

The US requires military bases and such as conditions for foreign aid, as well as simply "protecting" certain countries. We have a strange empire: we provide the booty and tribute, and the other countries get the benefits.

 

Knight_of_BAAWA:

The US requires military bases and such as conditions for foreign aid, as well as simply "protecting" certain countries. We have a strange empire: we provide the booty and tribute, and the other countries get the benefits.

Yes we could call it the Empire that Keeps on Giving. Seeing how Vietnam stil keeps getting those elusive benefits of agent orange.

The US does not protect countries, it protects regimes. Ussually from their own peoples.

Individualist:

Does America have an empire? America doesn't receive foreign tribute, right? It doesn't have colonies. In what sense does America have an empire?

No America does not recieve foreign tribute. The American plutocratic establishement does. Of course USA has colonies. But they are not old fashioned colonies which are ruled directly, they are sophisticated nominaly independant neo-colonies, ruled through local intermediaries. The idea is to be given various non-market concessions by the governments of the natives that will benefit the companies of American plutocrats.

Stil those are not the only form of tribute expected from their satellites, voting with the US in the UN, signing up for coalitions of the willing, sending auxillaries to serve in US foreign adventures, even reorientation of their foreign policy to serve US strategic goals in the region, those are as important.

 

America doesn't have an empire. The Empire has America.

Stranger:

America doesn't have an empire. The Empire has America.

In Soviet America, empire has you!

 

nameless:

Protecting freedom from the evil decadent Soviets/Islamists/any arbitrary group by bombing people.

In grammar school, I learned that NATO is supposed to "represent Western values in the international political arena".

That reminded me to spend more time on mises.org and less time in grammar school.

wombatron:

Stranger:

America doesn't have an empire. The Empire has America.

In Soviet America, empire has you!

LMAO!

nameless:

Protecting freedom from the evil decadent Soviets/Islamists/any arbitrary group by bombing people.

That's what Serbia was all about, trying to prove NATO to be relevant after the USSR had collapsed.

Knight_of_BAAWA:

The US requires military bases and such as conditions for foreign aid, as well as simply "protecting" certain countries. We have a strange empire: we provide the booty and tribute, and the other countries get the benefits.

This is not entirely accurate.  Americans don't pay for much if barely any of their consumption, for the empire or otherwise.  Deficits and debt means that Americans enjoy the privileged position of living at the expense of the rest of the world, and at the same time, at the guaranteed future enslavement of their children and grand children.

Canada, the UK, Germany, France, these countries are only marginally better.  But to think that Americans have paid (now) for what they consume is simply not accurate.  Libertarianism will not take off in a big way until people have to pay for what was consumed by their predecessors.  Then the people will be ready to revolt against the system.  Right now, it's a free ride.

What do you think NATO is all about?

In what way is involvement in NATO colonization?

 

JParker:

We also do have all the things you state we dont.

Individualist:

America doesn't receive foreign tribute

What are all the purchasers of T-bills doing then? They're giving us their money in exchange for our empty promises... i call that tribute.

 

Explain please.

 

 

Individualist:

In what way is involvement in NATO colonization?

In the way that by joining NATO a state puts Empire`s foreign policy goals and interests before its own and becomes a satellite.

 

Marko:

Individualist:

In what way is involvement in NATO colonization?

In the way that by joining NATO a state puts Empire`s foreign policy goals and interests before its own and becomes a satellite.

 

That's just for territorial defense, right? The odds that any country is currently going to violate "America's" territory are insignificant.

 

 

T

Individualist:

Explain please.

he current facade of 'prosperity' in our country is being financed on the increasing defecit, and therefore national debt. The only way that this can appear legitimate is for the US to sell the debt, in the form of T-bills. The major purchasers of this debt are china and japan. The t-bills are nothing but paper stating that the US will repay you your money plus interest at a later date. Backed, just as our money is, by nothing but the 'good faith and credit' of the US govt. And as all austrians know, sooner or later the US govt will be bankrupt, and wont be able to pay back this debt. Therefore, the chinese (who aren't as supid as we'd like to think) are keeping us afloat right now by essentially giving us tribute, so we keep buying their crap and they can develope into an industrial power of their own and not need us anymore. They're giving us money and, unless they're buying into all the BS too, know they will never be paid back. Ergo, tribute.

Individualist:

That's just for territorial defense, right? The odds that any country is currently going to violate "America's" territory are insignificant.

No that`s for bombing small countries, encircling Russia, joining the US in Central Asian quagmires and redrawing the map of Europe.

 

Knight_of_BAAWA:

The US requires military bases and such as conditions for foreign aid, as well as simply "protecting" certain countries. We have a strange empire: we provide the booty and tribute, and the other countries get the benefits.

liberty student:

This is not entirely accurate.

Mmmhmm.

 

liberty student:

Americans don't pay for much if barely any of their consumption, for the empire or otherwise.

Other than the debasement of the currency and the massively craptacular recession/depression, you mean?

Knight_of_BAAWA:

liberty student:

Americans don't pay for much if barely any of their consumption, for the empire or otherwise.

Other than the debasement of the currency and the massively craptacular recession/depression, you mean?

Don't forget the loans from foreigners that will never be repaid, and the dollar reserves in many foreign banks that are also irredeemable.

Americans are able to maintain 70% of GDP as consumption because someone else is underwriting it.

In the first case, it is people stupid enough to absorb American dollars.

In the second case, the costs are being pushed into the future on the next two or three generations of tax payers.

liberty student:

In the first case, it is people stupid enough to absorb American dollars.

Or clever enough: China holds a huge weight over the US's head because of it.