[ClearCase_guy]

We do not occupy countries.
We do not loot countries.
We have no colonies.

If this is an “empire” we really suck at it and should open a history book and find out how it’s supposed to be done.

[Alberta's Child]

We don't openly govern these countries the way a traditional empire would have done it in the past, but make no mistake about it -- we do occupy them.

The U.S. military currently has a presence in more than 80 countries around the globe. There isn't another empire in the history of the world that can lay claim to that kind of armed presence.

[OIFVeteran]

Agree with you there. During my 2nd deployment to Iraq the Stars and Stripes had an article about the Iraqi government holding biddings for companies to drill new oil fields in southern Iraq. There was a French, Chinese, and American company bidding on this. The article stated the Chinese company won and all I could think is how there is no way in hell any other country than America should be getting Iraq’s oil business after all the blood and money we spent to liberate them.