Preserving the American Empire: Lessons from the Past and Recommendations for the Future
First of all, I believe it is important to assert that there is no recommendation that can be made that will preserve the integrity of the so-called American Empire. If we are truly being realistic and conscious of historical evidence, then we cannot reasonably assert that the American Empire can continue on indefinitely. After all, over the course of a long enough stretch of time, the survival rate of everything drops to zero. We cannot expect the American Empire to behave any differently. However, there is a very large difference between a sudden, catastrophic collapse of complexity and a more managed, gradual scaling back of imperial activity. This essay, then, will examine five possible recommendations that can be made to U.S. policymakers that could help them manage the inevitable decline of the American Empire. These recommendations will be drawn from historical evidence-an examination of civilizations such as Harappa civilization, the Han Dynasty, the Mycenaean civilization, and the Roman Empire. This evidence should make my recommendations all the more pressing and pertinent should the U.S. be interested in avoiding catastrophic collapse. One of the first and most important lessons that US policymakers should con
The same fate could easily befall the US. Currently, two of the nation's primary rivals have been identified as the European Union and China. Both of these competitors are poised to amass significant military and economic strength in the coming decades, even as the US seems intent on overextending itself in the world. In fact, this is an important fourth lesson for policymakers: avoid overextension. Rome, Mycenae, and the Han Dynasty all suffered from this preoccupation. Harappa may have as well, but historical evidence is shakier on this point. Expansion was the policy in Rome for centuries until Augustus put a cap on imperial growth (Tainter, 1998; Spodek, 1998). Mycenaean civilization was similarly driven to expansion, conquering the Greek mainland between 1600 and 1000 BC (Duiker and Spielvogel, 1998). This overextension precipitated downfall because there were simply too few resources to maintain continued expansion indefinitely without sacrificing domestic development. Thus, the core of the empires suffered as the imperialists continued to push the boundaries of the empires farther. The US seems similarly driven by such expansionist desires, particularly in the Middle East, even as economic development at home continues to falter and fail. If policymakers can recognize this fact, then it might be possible to make moves now that can slow the nature of the collapse, making it gradual and managed rather than sudden and violent. The Roman Empire at its height ruled over 70-100 million people (Spodek, 1998). The current US population is roughly three times that, not counting the colonial possessions under US supervision. If the sudden collapse of the Roman Empire was disastrous for the ancient Romans, imagine how much more terrible it could be for many more people if the American Empire collapses suddenly. The most important lesson of the ones I have listed is the recognition that the American Empire is not a permanent thing, no matter the hubris of the powerful in the US. Collapse will come. If the US's rulers are wise, they will begin to make moves now to insure that the eventual decline of empire is gradual and smooth, no
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Approximate Word count = 1454
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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