That US empire

Submitted by Jeff (United States), Jan 18, 2022 at 19:39

Hi Debanjan,

Always a pleasure to hear from a man who chooses to live in the world's largest democracy.

There is no U.S. empire.

Japan has the world's 3rd largest economy. Japan competes with the USA. The U.S. goods trade deficit with Japan was over $55 billion in 2020. Japanese cars comprise about 40% of cars sold in the USA. That's not what an empire does with its colonies.

South Korea has Asia's 4th largest economy and the world's 10th largest. South Korea competes with the USA. The U.S. trade deficit with South Korea was about 17 billion in 2020. South Koreans are welcomed to the USA to get an education and then return home as innovators and entrepreneurs. Korea was a colony of Japan, (as Koreans well remember) but never of the USA.

Friends and allies do not an empire make.

2500 troops supporting the Iraqi government against ISIS (whose creation was "personally supported" by Daniel Pipes, as I recall, according to you) also does not make an empire. Iraqi oil and oil wells are 100% state-owned. They sell us oil for almost 90 dollars a barrel. No empire discount. Because there is no empire.

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