A Modern Empire in Denial
The unashamed empires of history – from Persia to Rome to 19th Century Britain –embarked on their imperial conquests with pride.
It's curious that American politicians, even though pursuing imperial goals, hotly deny the charge. As former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said when America was accused of imperial ambitions: "We don't seek empires. We're not imperialistic. We never have been."
But the evidence certainly suggests otherwise.
The American dollar bill uses Rome's own language, and words derived from Virgil, to proclaim a novus ordo seclorum – a new order of the ages.
In Roman heraldry, the eagle represented the might and authority of the Emperor. Roman standard bearers proudly carried this eagle image into battle by the legions. Likewise, the Great Seal of the United States, prominently displayed wherever the President goes, shows an American bald eagle with its talons grasping the arrows of war and an olive branch of peace.
As was the case in the Roman Empire, those symbols of authority are backed with force: America has more than 700 military bases in foreign countries, and tens of thousands of troops stationed around the world.
While the Bush administration denies it, 'empire' is not a nasty word to many prominent intellectuals. Niall Ferguson, author of Colossus, writes: "I believe the world needs an effective liberal empire and that the United States is the best candidate for the job."
History tells us, however, that empires inevitably collapse. While explanations abound for collapse (e.g., it's variously argued that the Roman Empire fell because of degeneracy and deforestation, too much bureaucracy, corruption and from too few producers supporting too many idle mouths), in the end, individuals subjugated by force never cease resisting. Plus, the costs of maintaining an empire become unsupportable in the long-run.
The rise and fall of an empire comes down to the struggle between two facets of human nature. On the one side, individuals are driven by a quest for power. And, on the other side, individuals always seek sovereignty over their own lives....
JOHN PUGSLEY, Chairman
EDITOR’S NOTE: This comment is a small excerpt from best-selling author, John Pugsley’s latest book Chairman’s Corner: Essays on Liberty. Click here to learn more about John’s latest treatise for economic and personal freedom:
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