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We agree.
That is, we agree that the U.S. should embrace our imperialist stature. It is simple honesty to do so. However, it is worthwhile examining the historical trajectories of empires. In the old days, empires were generally built around the leadership of gifted and powerful men, who seized and expanded the influence of the their culture by conquest, the use of force to both conquer and subjugate their subjects. As soon as the Great Man died, the empire quickly deteriorated despite the best efforts of those profiting most from imperial status. Still, those that lasted the longest brought something of value to their colonies. The Roman empire, for example, brought the latest technologies...in this case roads and sanitation...both to their own people and to conquered territories. Many of the roads in France were originally built by the Romans. Likewise, the British Empire brought peace and stability to their many conquered peoples as well as various economic benefits...mostly to the puppet ruling class of their colonies...which often "tickled down" to the common folk. Even the very short lived Third Reich, which between 1939 and 1942 conquered a huge percentage of Europe, brought...very short lived...benefits to those among the conquered people who passed the Nazi Aryan purity test.
Why exactly do empires fade and die? There are obviously many reasons, but one of the more compelling is that...because the colonies were acquired through force...the colonial people never granted their consent to their governors. No matter what the marginal economic gains, this "consent gap" between the imperial and the colonial populace always seems to result eventually in insurrection. Usually this revolt has been violent, but more recently nations have jettisoned their colonial status more peacefully.
Last week, the U.S. had a state visit from President Vincente Fox of Mexico. He spoke eloquently about the historical fraternal relationship (?) between our two countries plus the need for cooperation to solve problems that cross national borders. However, one thought came through loud and clear. Since their lives are so thoroughly entwined with the United States, the people of Mexico want a LOT MORE SAY in how they are treated by their imperial neighbors to the north. In short, they want what we already have. They are willing to work...and work HARD...for that result, but they are fed up with being treated as lesser human beings while doing so.
So, why don't we simply annex Mexico and shepherd them into our fold as we have so many other peoples before them? It's that "consent" thing again. Mexicans seem to regard the U.S. as a nice place to visit...or in which to have even a low paying job...but, they wouldn't want to live here! They routinely send most of their income back to Mexico in hopes of someday returning to a better life there.
Ditto for Canada. Canadians have serious economic penis envy about our affluence, but think Canada is a nicer place to live, thank you very much. If, however, the French-speaking separatists succeed in splitting that great nation, we should welcome the remaining provinces to join up with us...something that is rumored to be a very popular alternative among young Canadians. If so, we urge those in Canada who negotiate the union to drive a hard bargain. Just as Minnesota is notorious for being "nice"...it is even labeled "Minnesota Nice" by boosters...we agree that Canada is a VERY nice and sane place to live as well. If nothing else, they are currently withdrawing from the War on Drugs despite HEAVY pressure from down south.
We should not treat the idea of expansion of our empire as our imperial due, but rather a test of the REAL VALUE of U.S. ideology of community, freedom and democracy. If American freedom really has the values we libertarians ascribe to it, if democracy is really as important as we think it is, then the U.S. ought to be able to sell it to others quite easily. The "Empire of Freedom" as a product should be a slam dunk.
There are, of course, other ways to expand an empire than force. For example, the recent free trade agreements will help everyone, but the U.S. especially, since our trade barriers are already among the lowest in the world. However, expanding our empire through trade is limited by the ability of other countries to compete. And compete they will.
So, why not buy Siberia from Russia? Remember the Louisiana Purchase? The Jefferson administration bought all the land from the Mississippi to the Oregon Territory from France for a song at a time when the latter needed funds to wage the Napoleanic Wars. Today, Russia desperately needs development capital. Their infrastructure is rotting and, while free market capitalism is slowly gaining ground in Russia, there is an enormous distance yet to be traveled. Bush ought to make them an offer they can hardly refuse...say a trillion dollars, payable over ten years...a good way to invest the surplus, no?...to purchase this gigantic territory. This acquisition would give the U.S. borders with China, Mongolia and Russia and give venture capitalists projects for centuries, developing Siberia. The ROI (Return On Investment) of such a purchase would break even with the cost well before the twenty first century has expired. Global warming might even provide a fringe benefit, since a warmer Siberia could become the bread basket of the world.
Of course, the citizens of Siberia would have to consent to such an enormous transfer of territory, but...to date...nobody has asked them. Who knows, they might very well wish to be Americans, although this is by no means a certainty. And, extending the Trans-Siberia railroad across the Bering Straight would provide employment for decades, for both old and new Americans.
Ridiculous? Insane? Compared to war, transference of territory in this manner is like a beautiful flower blooming in the weed-littered garden of civilization.
Talk to you later...
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