America is the worst imperialist hegemon

[George.]

with the exception of everybody else.

Maybe not everybody. Maybe Finland or New Zealand would make better hegemons. But they are too tiny to try.

A lot of hand wringing about US misdeeds in the Ukraine thread. But the world is far better off than if the hegemon was China, or Russia.

[wizbang 13]

Gonna hafta google that word I guess

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I think that’s very well put.

After all, whenever someone in the USA suggests that they might give stop hegemonising, the citizens of other nations start begging the USA to stay around.

Britain was incredibly lucky to be able to pass on its former hegemony to an ally that speaks the same language.

[wizbang 13]

I think that’s very well put.

After all, whenever someone in the USA suggests that they might give stop hegemonising, the citizens of other nations start begging the USA to stay around.

Britain was incredibly lucky to be able to pass on its former hegemony to an ally that speaks the same language.

Oh, I just watched a YouTube of how to pronounce the word… seems American and Bwitish do it differently.

[George.]

Gonna hafta google that word I guess

Because you don't live in, say, Latin America, where Yankee imperialist hegemony is current talk among the lefties.

They'll list every US crime since Hiroshima in detail, highlighting those in Latin America, but they will refuse to consider the alternative: Russia or China throwing their weight around at will.

The EU is at this point far from being a potential alternative hegemon. Best seen as a positive counterweight to the US.

[CWSmith]

My greatest regret is that our divided government seems to compel us to adopt a "What's in it for us?" attitude that lacks generosity and vision. Our greatest export should be democracy, but all too often it is profit.

[Peerie Maa]

My greatest regret is that our divided government seems to compel us to adopt a "What's in it for us?" attitude that lacks generosity and vision. Our greatest export should be democracy, but all too often it is profit.

There was a strong whiff of that during and after WWII.

[Paul Pless]

I think that’s very well put.

After all, whenever someone in the USA suggests that they might give stop hegemonising, the citizens of other nations start begging the USA to stay around.

Britain was incredibly lucky to be able to pass on its former hegemony to an ally that speaks the same language.

it'd be nice if those other countries would help pay for this hegemony, some way we can levy a tax on y'all for it
maybe y'all could pay some tribute or something
most of the rest of the world is quick to berate us for our lack of social services and safety net for our citizenry
many of us here see the primary reason why we don't have nice things is that we spend too much on the effing military

[Peerie Maa]

it'd be nice if those other countries would help pay for this hegemony, some way we can levy a tax on y'all for it
maybe y'all could pay some tribute or something
most of the rest of the world is quick to berate us for our lack of social services and safety net for our citizenry
many of us here see the primary reason why we don't have nice things is that we spend too much on the effing military

We already do. Doesn't stop the US from bleating about it though.
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_67655.htm

[Peerie Maa]

most of the rest of the world is quick to berate us for our lack of social services and safety net for our citizenry
many of us here see the primary reason why we don't have nice things is that we spend too much on the effing military

Well, that is what US citizens voter for.

[Paul Pless]

We already do.

a pittance

[WszystekPoTrochu]

If you're not nasty, you won't have hegemony for too long.

The question is - does the length of one's dominance indicate particular nastiness, or the other way around - particularly tolerable nastiness?

[Paul Pless]

benevolent nastiness?

[George.]

maybe y'all could pay some tribute or something

It's called dollar supremacy

[LeeG]

fart

[sonofswen]

it'd be nice if those other countries would help pay for this hegemony, some way we can levy a tax on y'all for it
maybe y'all could pay some tribute or something
most of the rest of the world is quick to berate us for our lack of social services and safety net for our citizenry
many of us here see the primary reason why we don't have nice things is that we spend too much on the effing military

Add to that The Military Welfare State

https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog....=9780674286139
In its 2023 budget request, DoD requested an active military force of 1.3 million by the end of fiscal year 2023 (known as end strength) and a budget of $773 billion, which represents 46 percent of all proposed discretionary funding for that year.

[LeeG]

It's called dollar supremacy

I need a graph. I’d be curious to see if there’s been a change in the percentage of dollar denominated trade in the world.

[Garret]

My greatest regret is that our divided government seems to compel us to adopt a "What's in it for us?" attitude that lacks generosity and vision. Our greatest export should be democracy, but all too often it is profit.

Export democracy? To export something, you have to have a supply of it. While you & I live in states that have strong democratic roots (town meeting in particular), many states are so gerrymandered they really don't. Plus, the federal government is not a true democracy & how the Congress consistently votes against the wishes of the majority of US voters proves it.

As far as hegemony (IOW the OP), the US has done some good & some bad. We (we meaning most administrations since WW2) have elected ourselves the world's policeman & like many of our own police departments, there are issues.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

Britain was incredibly lucky to be able to pass on its former hegemony to an ally that speaks nearly the same language.

Fixed

[Gerarddm]

In my next life I will be a benign hegemon and fix everything.

[Peerie Maa]

a pittance

Above the current NATO guidance of 2% of GDP.
The US of A is put to shame by tinpot middle eastern and African nations like Eritrea.

[Johan R]

a pittance

Senator Kennedys sock puppet? If Germany did not have to house, feed and train the millions of refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other places invaded by the US causing an exodus to the EU, then perhaps there would be more money for military spending.

Not for you or senator Kennedy to whine about another nations spending when you can print as much as you need.

[CWSmith]

Export democracy? To export something, you have to have a supply of it. While you & I live in states that have strong democratic roots (town meeting in particular), many states are so gerrymandered they really don't. Plus, the federal government is not a true democracy & how the Congress consistently votes against the wishes of the majority of US voters proves it.

As far as hegemony (IOW the OP), the US has done some good & some bad. We (we meaning most administrations since WW2) have elected ourselves the world's policeman & like many of our own police departments, there are issues.

I can't disagree with you. For my money, I would point to Germany and Japan after the WWII and compare it to Germany after WWI. When we exported democracy and helped them rebuild, we all benefited. Compare that to our long-running failures in Central America with one strong man ruler after another and where did that get us?

[David G]

I think that’s very well put.

After all, whenever someone in the USA suggests that they might give stop hegemonising, the citizens of other nations start begging the USA to stay around.

Britain was incredibly lucky to be able to pass on its former hegemony to an ally that speaks the same language.

There is absolutely some truth there.

Because you don't live in, say, Latin America, where Yankee imperialist hegemony is current talk among the lefties.

They'll list every US crime since Hiroshima in detail, highlighting those in Latin America, but they will refuse to consider the alternative: Russia or China throwing their weight around at will.

The EU is at this point far from being a potential alternative hegemon. Best seen as a positive counterweight to the US.

True also. Just because our hegemony serves a useful purpose in certain ways... doesn't mean that we always do it well, or live up to our own ideals while filling the role. Capitalism functions best for all concerned, in the long run, if it is well regulated. It is most lucrative in the short term if unregulatd. Our hegemony allows for corporations to have little regulation and maximum returns.

it'd be nice if those other countries would help pay for this hegemony, some way we can levy a tax on y'all for it
maybe y'all could pay some tribute or something
most of the rest of the world is quick to berate us for our lack of social services and safety net for our citizenry
many of us here see the primary reason why we don't have nice things is that we spend too much on the effing military

They pay for it plenty. It's just that the payment doesn't come back to the people of the U.S. by way of our government. It lands in the pocket of the corporations - esp. resource-extraction firms - and the international consulting firms that keep the chariot rolling in the right direction... that all participate in our dominance. Time to mention again, 'Confessions of an Economic Hitman'. If you haven't read it, you should. Taxing the corporations would help recompense the citizens for the work we do to allow them such grand opportunites for windfall profits.

[David G]

We're a loooooong way from DDE's vision --

[CWSmith]

I can't disagree with you. For my money, I would point to Germany and Japan after the WWII and compare it to Germany after WWI. When we exported democracy and helped them rebuild, we all benefited. Compare that to our long-running failures in Central America with one strong man ruler after another and where did that get us?

I should say that some countries are not prepared for the modern world. Certainly Afghanistan has shown us that even though there are people there who want it. I'm just saying that we have messed up and missed opportunities many times and we would all be better off if we put freedom ahead of profit.

[SaltyD from BC]

We're a loooooong way from DDE's vision --

Brilliant. Any chance the maga crowd could read that once a day and maybe some of it sink in? Yeah... never mind

[LOKI]

Your country worked so hard to gain that trust and respect, only to lose it after only one moron presidency. So sad

[Peerie Maa]

Your country worked so hard to gain that trust and respect, only to lose it after only one moron presidency. So sad

To which particular moron president do you refer?

[LeeG]

Your country worked so hard to gain that trust and respect, only to lose it after only one moron presidency. So sad

We have more morons to come.

[skuthorp]

I think the hegemon baton may already have been passed on, if unwillingly.

[LOKI]

To which particular moron president do you refer?

Perhaps if you lived a bit closer , you would know which I refer too!

[Garret]

Your country worked so hard to gain that trust and respect, only to lose it after only one moron presidency. So sad

It wasn't just Trump, though he finished the job. Bush Jr did some damage, as did Reagan.

[LeeG]

In a perverse way I feel some satisfaction that TFG came and went with more idiocy bubbling up in Congress and “The Media”. These are our visible morons popping out like a visible infection, a pustule. They shouldn’t be in hiding with politicians needing dog whistles and nuanced rhetoric to contact them.
It’s out in the open. Moronic thinking has a voice, it has representatives. It’s patriotic!

Bring on the Congressional Hearings against Wokeness!

[David G]

I think the hegemon baton may already have been passed on, if unwillingly.

What do you base that conclusion on?