In his The Case For Goliath: How America Acts As The World’s Government in the Twenty-first Century, Michael Mandelbaum suggests a different role for the United States than that of ‘imperialist’ or empire, or even “the world’s policeman.” Mandelbaum suggests that the United States is, more and more, functioning as the government of the world.

It has been fashionable, since the beginning of the 21^st century, to describe the United States as an empire. This is because of the interests and influence the United States has in almost every area of the world; we have troops in as much as 150 countries, depending on how you count. We are responsible for 30% of the goods delivered in the world, a number which cannot be matched, even closely by any other country. Our cultural influence is overwhelming, our clothes styles set the norm for the rest of the world…I could go on, but the influence of the United States on the rest of the world is close to overpowering.

 This, of course, makes many people nervous, and the use of the term ‘empire’ is not used in a complementary sense. It is generally used to demonstrate a purposeful attempt by the United States to dominate and control the rest of the world, in the manner of a Hitler, or Alexander. There is concern, of course, for local customs and traditions, as people try to emulate the United States. There is concern about political domination, as the United States uses its forces to impose its will on nations which the United States considers a threat. There is a, justifiable, fear of loss of political controls by nations which are proud of their independence.

 The term empire, however, implies three characteristics which the relationship between the United States and the rest of the world lack. First, it implies an unequal relationship between two parties, one being dominant over another. Second, it implies coercion, the dominant State forcing the subordinate State to work for the dominant state’s interest. Third, it implies one culture’s domination over another; France’s domination over Vietnam and Algeria would have been an Empire, since Vietnam and Algeria had radically different racial and political characteristics than did France…no one terms French Control over its own, French provinces as an empire.

The United States has not, except in very rare circumstances, attempted to dominate other countries by military force. In fact, even in the exceptions, such as Haiti and Bosnia, the Untied States has sought to share its domination with other nations, and divest the responsibility to the countries for which it has assume responsibility as quickly as possible. Instead of putting up puppet governments in Germany, Japan and Iraq, the United States formed Democratic governments, removing the pernicious influences of the megalomaniacal tyrants who controlled those countries previously, and putting the power in the hands of the people. That is not the characteristic of an empire-building State.

 The reason why the United States has achieved this dominance world-wide is because the United States ’s economic and political systems have enabled it to utilized the full power and ability of all of its citizens. Any citizen has the possibility of achieving economic success if they have the imagination, and the luck to reach the top of their endeavor. Such opportunity is far less in those competing societies.

 So…what IS the role of the United States in the world? Mandlebaum makes the leap to suggest that the United States serves as an unappointed government to the world. In Mandlebaum’s conception, this form of government is not in the role of safety and, but in terms of a supplier of goods and services, and there is much to be made of this. Using Mandelbaum’s example, a wealthy neighbor might hire a security firm to patrol his streets, and his neighbors will benefit from this, even though they do not contribute. In the same way, the United States pursues success, and the rest of the world benefits.

 This does extend into the military field. The United States has provided security for the world since the end of World War Two. When the North Koreans invaded South Korea, it was the United States, along with its United Nations friends, who stopped them. When North Korea invaded South Korea, it was the United States which attempted to stop them. When Saddam invaded Kuwait, it was the United States, and its coalition friends, who stopped them…and it was the United States, and its coalition friends, which forced Saddam Hussein to pay for his violation of the cease fire after Desert Storm, and 17 U.N. Resolutions.

 In effect, the United States has taken over the vacuum created by the abdication of the United Nations. The latter has become, very early, a sounding board for Western hatred, and useless for maintaining peace anywhere in the world. It serves as a good place to meet to discuss issues that should not be aired in public, but as a world government, there is no possibility that it can ever be effective.

 How long the United States can maintain this position of defacto World government is an open question. Totalitarian States around the world, Russia, China, Venezuela, etc, all focus on their common foe, the United States. Couple this with the obvious cowardice of those European States which should be the natural allies of the United States, and the future is not bleak.

 On the other hand, the United States has surmounted difficulties in the past. The fall of the United States would be a disaster for humanity, and it would be hard to believe that the world would be so self-destructive as to allow their own interests to be so thwarted.