Reflective Post 2: American Empire

The discussion on sovereignty and nation-states was thoroughly intriguing. I later tried to evaluate America’s role in the world and attempted to categorize it through the lens of nation-state acting in its self-interest or a global empire enhancing its agenda around the world. Interestingly enough I stumbled across the Empire programme on Aljazeera English (probably the most reputable news reporting agency in the world.) The programme’s purpose is to probe the reach and influence of powerful entities and states such as the U.S.

One notable statistic attesting to the global presence of the United States is the following: “the US military continues to deploy its forces in more than 100,000 structures in over 700 bases in more than 100 countries around the world.”

So is the U.S an empire?

With significant military presence around the world including two occupations in the Middle East and social, political, and economic clout it certainly seems America is the last remaining empire. Another perspective would view the U.S. as a strong nation-state considered the world’s only super-power. In the post-Soviet era, the role of the United States has shifted towards operating alongside and cooperatively with other states and entities such as the U.N, EU, and rising powers such as China and Russia. However, doing so in such a manner as to preserve its own power and wield considerable influence. Vestiges of Empire remain, and the “world police” of today draw’s sharp contrasts with traditional empires. Maybe the U.S is in limbo having defined its place somewhere between a modern nation-state and an empire. I can only speculate.