ooner or later; it always happens eventually

Historically vassels or client-states are often referred to as part of an "empire" In America's current position the only way to avoid having an empire in the above sense would be to withdraw from the world In any case Puerto Rico is obviously an imperial establishment, though hardly by force(the Puerto Ricans themselves thought the status quo a good deal).

This web site is in some ways a pride thing. The American Army will as I said someday be defeated. Who cares? Everything has to end sometime. For nations as well as men, what you do with the time while you have it is more important.

Thanks, Gandalf! ;-) Displacedjim

America's military superiority only means that no one will defeat it in a conventional battle any time soon, but that means nothing. Vietnam and Algeria are proof that the powerful militaries of democracies are hobbled by politics (and with good reason), esp. in the face of popular insurgeancies. And the Roman example, or the British example, indicate that some empires just exhaust themselves and are eclipsed by someone else. It just happens. We won't fall like the Japanese Empire or the Third German Reich (I really hope not), but there's no reason to think our present dominance will last forever. I just hope it continues while I'm alive, for I fear the barbarians at the gate, and there is, as of yet, no viable alternative (EU? UN? Not quite, not now, maybe in the future). Who knows? Maybe the Vulcans will come and save us all from ourselves? I place as much faith in them as I do in the UN as a source of real stability and security.

Filthy Sanchez are you on drugs of some sort? there is just no way in heck the ussr is going to slip a worthwhile number of troops into Canada without someone noticing them "building up" on the border. Now of course the english and germans have enough armour for 2 tank divisions just about already placed less than a hundred miles from the US border. besides invasions tend to cause a lot of property damage and given how much of the US canadians already own it would be kinda silly to blow up so much of our stuff wouldn't it.

Yep, and the SOmalians lost over 1000 dead to those outgunned us MArines. US pulled out for political reasons, NOT military. hmm thought it was rangers and some delta shooters.

Danuas Also the U.S hasnt been in that many wars while they don't often declare war the US has averaged about one armed incursion into foreign soil a year since it was founded. they were very fond of sending marines into central america for instance. this doesn't count their century of nearly constant indian warfare.

danuas while i am not a great fan of the US army sentinel is quite correct about US army performance in Nam. they never lost a battle bigger than a company skirmish with the NVA that i heard about. of course given the firepower disparity tween the forces engaged this shouldn't exactly come as a shock to anyone.

in 15-20 years perhaps less you can look to the PRC to seriously rival the US in regional power in the far east. given apparent chinese plans to "reclaim" lost territory it's gonna make for interesting times not too far down the road.