Use of the Phrase "American Empire"

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

This has always irked me, at some points more than others. The irony is that, despite the historical perception of imperial aspirations as something to be avoided, the phrase is often used by the conservatively-minded to bemoan a perceived decline in the United States' power and influence. Regardless, I tend to think of it as an attempt to sound "cool" by imposing a sense of grandeur and majesty on the subject discussed. Perhaps it's my own aversion to modernity- it doesn't seem appropriate to saddle the events of the last 25 years with an aura that would be appropriate for civilization-making phenomena.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

I think the term American Empire is best used as a historical one about the early 20th century and the Philippines. The Philippines had a third as many people as the US itself and was a hugely significant colonial holding.

I was unaware of the population numbers at the time- that makes acquisition of the Philippines sound much more dramatic!