Sheehan and imperialism

Sheehan has been promoted from Class B to Class A Nutcase. Jawa Report, a blog I link to, has excerpted portions of a letter from Sheehan to Bush. This part rankled me more than the rest: “George Bush's war for imperialism and insatiable greed.”

Imperialism.

Let’s tackle that straightaway. The U.S. is not acting like any empire that has gone before. The main tenet marking an empire is the expansion of territories under complete political control. Indulge yourself with ten minutes of web research – check the British empire, the Spanish empire, the Roman empire, or the Mongols or any of the others. Expanding areas directly under control of an “emperor” makes an empire.

To all the wild, pathetic fuckbrains (liberals, socialists, communists, anti-war zealots, and terrorists), establishing free, open, democratic elections proves the U.S. is not imperial! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU DUMBFUCKS? Iraq is following the same path that Germany and France did. Are those two nations imperial territories of the United States? Well, are they? Or did they go on to become two of the most successful nations in the world?

Also, consider that if the U.S. was an empire, we would control 75% of the earth. No other country has a space-based military. No one else has aircraft carriers above and beyond small amphibs (to ferry Harriers and choppers); the U.S. has 13. No other country has stealth aircraft; the U.S. has dozens and dozens, including the new stealth fighter and the B2. No other nation has a $10+ trillion GDP coupled with the efficiency of democracy.

Idle boasts? Flights of fancy? Do you like the internet? How about GPS? France, do you like being free? How about you, Spain, Italy, and many others? Panamanians, are you better off without Noriega, or should we have let him go on killing? Yes or no? Would the Vietnamese have done better as a free democracy?

The U.S. compared to the rest of the modern world is not unlike Rome's comparison to the rest of the ancient world. Are we acting like Rome? Are we really? Rome gobbled up every inch of territory it could. Are we? How long would it take the U.S. to control, say, Africa? A week, a month? It took 21 days to take Baghdad. How long would it take to conquer Nigeria, a major oil-producing nation in Africa?

Do empires use military force exclusively against military targets? Do they use JDAMS against legitimate targets?

No, little Shaved Apes, America is not imperial. If we were, the rest would be digging holes in which to hide. It’s best for everyone that we're not an empire. I'll be the first to say it. Thankfully, we have a long record of liberating those who cannot liberate themselves (even it's messy at times).

Merriam-Webster has, essentially, three definitions for “imperial.”

1. “of, relating to, befitting, or suggestive of an empire or an emperor”

2. reference to the British empire

3. “of superior or unusual size or excellence”

I accept No. 3 for America. Excellence is questionable, though, considering we are The McDonald’s Nation.

Merriam’s definition of empire doesn’t fit the U.S. very well, either.

Wake up and smell the toast, people. Where the U.S. military goes, there is always a good reason -- by any definition. We're far from perfect, but that doesn't mean we should ignore the world's problems and stick our head in the sand.