"And Rome > British Empire."

A moot point since the question at hand was whether America was the greatest empire since Rome. The relative size or importance of Britain to Rome is not important in that discussion. The facts that the USA is not an empire and is not as large or globally important as the British empire was in it's time is the reason you are wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irZmknvOB4I

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:
His day is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His day is marching on.
I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
Since God is marching on."
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
While God is marching on.
He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,
Our God is marching on.
(Chorus)
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Our God is marching on.

> [TI] Sitting Duck wrote:

> "And Rome > British Empire."

A moot point since the question at hand was whether America was the greatest empire since Rome. The relative size or importance of Britain to Rome is not important in that discussion. The facts that the USA is not an empire and is not as large or globally important as the British empire was in it's time is the reason you are wrong.>

Yes, America is an empire. It expanded and conquered territories to the pacific US from the original thirteen colonies. America is also able to project its power and influence more than the British. While the US does not directly rule countries as much, much of the world is part of its periphery. Its only recently, because of weak leadership, that that power is being eroded.

> Wild Flower Soul wrote:

<So did half the world.. Expansion doesn't make you an empire....>

It does when it's done to the extent of the US and your power reaches to the extent of America's.

<Yes, that's exactly what the recent years have been showing: wars that can't be won, economic crisis.. All very stable.. The British were able to make their glory last for 200 years. The american "empire" is already struggling....>

The British Empire reached its peak in the 1880s from centuries of incremental steps. Then decades later it was in decline. Likewise, the American Empire was an empire for a longer time but did not reach its peak until after WW2 as you correctly said.

And while we are struggling, it's because our elites are a bunch of insolent n00bs. The mechanisms and technology are there for us to restore the strength of our empire under strong leadership. Our Empire is in decay mostly because of Bush for being a n00b, and now Obama isn't helping.

<The US isn't the sole center of this system, nor is it the only system.. I'd suggest you check out Wallerstein's world system analysis >

Of course. But America's periphery extends further than other core countries.

<It is only recently that the US was the world major power, namely after WWII. and it's already losing ground to China and the EU. not because of weak leadership (or you must be a dictatorship), but to poor economic management.>

That too. The good thing is that the Europeans are our buddies .

"It does when it's done to the extent of the US and your power reaches to the extent of America's."
I still disagree. An empire is more than a primal power. An empire revolves around a solid position (his position shouldn't be contested) with charisma that inspires an entire nation and above all that person should represent all of what the nation (as in people) believes in. America is nothing of that kind..

"The British Empire reached its peak in the 1880s from centuries of incremental steps. Then decades later it was in decline. Likewise, the American Empire was an empire for a longer time but did not reach its peak until after WW2 as you correctly said."
erm.. 200 years > 60 years, or 90 at the very most (the USA is not to be considered a prime worldpower before WWI).

"Of course. But America's periphery extends further than other core countries."
There isn't an american core, that's my point. There's a Western core, but that's it...

"That too. The good thing is that the Europeans are our buddies."

Agreed.

lol, i liked the dixlieland version of the belgian anthem

yay turisas

imagine people grunting along prior to big football matches though o_O