America as empire : global leader or rogue power? / Jim Garrison

Includes bibliographical references (pages 203-206) and index.

Foreword by John Naisbitt.................................viii
Acknowledgments...........................................xi
Introduction From Republic to Empire......................2
1 America and the World...................................10
2 A Mighty Fortress on Shifting Sands.....................24
3 America's Journey to Empire.............................48
4 The Roots of American Preeminence.......................72
5 Empire and Its Discontents..............................92
6 The Rise and Fall of Empires............................108
7 The Roman Achievement...................................128
8 America at the Choice Point.............................150
9 The Final Empire........................................166
Notes.....................................................203
Index.....................................................207
About the Author..........................................218
About State of the World Forum............................220

Whether we like it or not, America is an empire. Jim Garrison urges us to face up to the complexities and responsibilities inherent in that indisputable fact." "Garrison traces the roots of the American Empire to the very beginnings of the republic, in particular to the historic willingness of the United States to use military might in the defense of two foreign policy objectives: protection of American commercial interests and the promotion of democracy." "Garrison examines the rise and fall of empires and ponders the question of how long the American Empire can last. He argues that the U.S. can gain important insights into durability from the Romans, detailing the interplay between military power, political institutions, and legal structures that enabled the Roman Empire to last for a thousand years.