America as an Empire?

I found another article, written by Jim Garrison, that deals with the question: Is America an empire? Here is the full article.

I think he has a convincing argument for why America is viewed by many as an empire. He says, "[America] used to represent freedom. Now it represents power." The level of power that America has attained is the basis for forming the American Empire. And just as Garrison stated, "The transition from republic to empire is irreversible, like the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. Once power is attained, it is not surrendered. It is only exercised."

Another argument supporting the idea that America is an empire is the fact that America has established military bases around the world. We keep these military bases in both times of war and in times of peace. Some of the military bases are unwanted, however, they remain there though the majority of people in some countries wish not to have the presence of US military bases.

I agree with Julie's comment that the definition of "empire" must change with time. We will never see another empire in the terms of the 18th century British Empire. Yet we conceive ourselves as an empire and we are quite different from the 18th century British Empire. This has much to due with America's military supremacy and our desire to influence other nations economically, socially, and politically.

Is America an Empire?

I wish to propose that the class argue for or against their notion of the US as a modern day empire. I found the article that Julie and Max posted as an interesting way to see one viewpoint on the subject. Nonetheless, I think a debate in the blogosphere on our own opinions might prove interesting. I do not have enough time tonight to argue my case so the gauntlet falls to the floor to anyone willing to pick it up. Have a nice night.

Wake up and smell the coffee...

Yesterday, I went to the Naro in Ghent and watched a really interesting documentary called "Black Gold". This documentary examined a negative development of globalization, the global- coffee trade and explained how multinational companies, as Starbucks, Kraft and Nestle for example, exploit coffee farmers in Ethopia, one of the poorest countries in the world and make coffee the most valuable trading commodity in the world after oil... The documentary also focused on an Ethopian initiative, a coorparative of thousands of common farmers, to sell their coffee as a fair trade-product and thereby improving their own situation by building a better infrastructure (schools, hospitals, etc.) and changing their country's future...

The issue that was raised in the documentary strongly reminded me of Joseph E. Stiglitz's article "Global Discontents", in which Stiglitz argues that the distribution of the globalization's benefits, in the sense of global trade, is the biggest problem of globalization. The question he comes up with is, "How it has been managed?" and what we have to change in order to reduce poverty and creat a better environment...

One scene from the documentary gave some kind of answer to Stiglitz 's request, because by paying the farmer only a few Dirs more, the farmers could send their children to school and are even able to build a better infrastructure...

And we as the consumers can make the first step by being up to spending probably a little more for a fair trade-product ?!?