Dangers of Being An Empire

America has become an empire in spite of the warnings of founders like Washington. The last president who understood the risks of imperialism was General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was concerned at the creation of a garrison state as a result of the growth of a permanent armaments industry. He thought the alliance between the military and huge corporations could threaten the foundation of the American way of life. It has come to pass. In his farewell address he said:

“The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”

After WW II America accepted the role of replacing the British Empire. Few spoke out about the risks to the country associated with the role. The most sacred values of the country would be compromised and a less democratic and more authoritarian government was inevitable unless the country heeded Ike’s warning. But we did not.

A moneyed Plutocracy has evolved and has seized control of our country. Now they control our politicians completely.  Our magnificent free enterprise system has metastasized  into a system in which huge international corporations hold more and more power. Our free press is now owned and operated by fewer and fewer corporations thus eliminating the diversity of opinion that made us a vital and healthy republic when Ike warned us. Our lives, including our health, are increasingly under  the control of a small group of greed driven men. These men recently drove us into  the worst financial disaster since the great depression. The measures used to bail us out have only increased their power.

Americans love their delusion of freedom and for much of the last 200 years it was a claim that had merit.  The plutocrats have managed to undercut and transform institutions that protected us from tyranny from either the left or the right. Their commercial allies have seized control of mass media and the locally controlled and managed independent newspaper, radio and television stations have gone the way of smaller locally controlled banks. The next several decades will be the most dangerous in our history and because of the risks facing the world the failure of America and its institutions pose catastrophic risk for the world.

Our government was designed not to work very well by people who were very fearful of government power at a time when despotic kings (and queens) were the tyrants and sources of slavery. If measured by how badly the government fails they were very successful. However, while we should be leery of governmental power we now must fear as much or more the power of huge and completely unaccountable corporate power and lobbyists who increasingly run our government. There is no bill of rights to protect us from giant international organizations, banks that grow too large, monopolistic technical and communication organizations or health organizations more concerned about the profits of stock holders than the health of people.

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