| You could say that the USA itself was an empire, in the sense that Henry VIII declared England was an Empire - ie, not subject to anyone else. But in the ordinary sense of the word, as in "British Empire", "Roman Empire"; no, America patently does not have an empire, nor behave in an imperial manner. That would require formal political arrangements for the permanent direct government of a number of other countries. One-off military interventions in Iraq or Afghanistan are another thing altogether.
In some respects and on some occasions, it would be nice if the USA's engagement with the rest of the world were more imperial - ie deeper and more consistent. But on the whole, not having an empire is surely something to be proud of? |