Leading Historian Says U.S. ‘Empire’ To Fail

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http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=509241

Every other empire in history has failed. I doubt ours' will be any different.

The British Empire for all intents and purposes has failed. Its aggression into Asia from the 1860's until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the post-World War I era was really the beginning of its collapse since it was not able to hold onto its "crowns" in the face of world opinion. The end of apartheid rule in South Africa is also a good example of its failure.

What should be noted is that big empires (Ottoman, Roman, etc.) usually last for hundreds of years after their decline begins. Today, however, the world is destablilized by the ability of smaller nations to wield nuclear and chemical weapons. Anything can happen.

Well all the bleeding heart pacifist liberals in western countries had better learn how to fight sharpish if it does happen. The US administration (along with wetern allies) is the worlds daddy right now and he needs counselling and the odd kick up the backside to improve but it's better to keep him around than be at the mercy of wolves.

The way I see it as a Brit is that the USA is going through the same phase we went through between the Wars. A slow, painful realisation that we are no longer number 1. Of course we brits decided to bow out in style by taking on the Nazis when no one else would. Ironically Bush's attempt at strengthening and securing US dominance is backfiring as his rather expensive(not to mention counter-productive) invasion of Iraq has driven the US government to the brink of bankruptcy.

Seems pretty obvious to me.

Hitler failed. So will Bush.

Why do liberals always compare Hitler to Bush. Wheres a treaty Bush broke by going to war with Iraq. Where are the people being killed at home for it. If you want to compare someone with Hilter use good ole Honest Abe as that actually was an illegal war, that cost far more lives and broke most every rule of the constitution. Do you ever know if it wasnt for the veto power in the UN SC if they would have gotten the necceessary 9 vote majority, and are you aware that the US shoulders 25% of the burden to the UN general budget and more then that in UN Peacekeeping efforts (I believe its generally 28% then.)

PS Ill forgive some of your stupidity if you can tell me how many times Congress actually has declared war and which times they were.

How dare you! Please either refrain from such statements, or leave WP!

I wasnt calling you stupid just your comment, so can you???

<i>”The British Empire for all intents and purposes has failed. Its aggression into Asia from the 1860's until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the post-World War I era was really the beginning of its collapse since it was not able to hold onto its "crowns" in the face of world opinion. The end of apartheid rule in South Africa is also a good example of its failure.”</i>

How does apartheid relate to the British Empire?
And when did Britain stop being an empire?

Are you measuring the British empire in terms of geographic, area size? Most of the wealth of the world is where it’s always been, in Europe and America. Colonies isn’t where a wealth of a nation came from, it’s just a cog in the bigger system.

Anyways, The UK was one of many colonial powers, they just happened to have the most.

I don't know, so I will take an educated guess: War of 1812, Spanish American War, World Wars I & II. Of course, you asked "how many times Congress actually has declared war", so we will have to count WWII twice; Congress declared war on Japan, then, the next day I think, they declared war on Germany/Italy. So that makes 5.

Forgot Mexican American War :-/ close though.

The U.N. Charter

:rolls eyes: what country hasnt broken the UN charter?

I do not believe that at all!

I may be silly, but isn't that what empires generally do?
Can't think of a one that hasn't.
I guess it helps if you have a vantage point as a commoner.
If I was sitting on top of a global corporation I would think that they bring wealth, privledge, and opportunity, but I'm just a common working man. Granted, my US citizenship automatically brings me a level of material well being above the common working men, women and children of the world.