Comment by pjc50

12 days ago

> The American Empire never existed, because it never could

This theory doesn't really explain what was going on at tremendous expense in Iraq, Afghanistan or even all those years ago in Vietnam.

If there is a decline, I expect it to be in internal security and the transition from high-trust to low-trust society.

6 comments

pjc50

Reply
42772827  12 days ago

It explains it precisely. The United States is a maritime power. It has never had the capability to maintain longterm occupation the way the Soviets or Ottomans did.

  • wormlord  12 days ago

    You realize that an Empire does not need to be configured the exact same way as the Roman Empire, right? A combination of soft power, clandestine operations, and targeted military intervention is more resource-effective than a constant occupation, and should still be considered an empire.