Wall Street’s Empire

From: Washington's Long War on Syria

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The United States has an empire, even if it’s not often called one. More often, the U.S. Empire is widely referred to by various euphemisms, anodyne terms which make the unacceptable appear acceptable, if not desirable. The U.S. Empire, so defined, opined the security strategy’s authors, is “essential” and “indispensable,” and is “a global force for good.” Empires have invariably described themselves in this way. The critical question, however—to put it somewhat awkwardly—is, for whose good is the U.S. Empire a global force? The U.S. Empire is a global force for the good of a parasitic elite at the apex of U.S. society which derives the bulk of its income from rent, profits, and interest. It is intimately connected to the profit-making imperatives of U.S. businesses. Foreign states, then, which intended to “impede” the profit-making activities of U.S. businesses, were warned that an important role for the U.S. military was to ensure that markets remained open and playing fields level. If we define war as one state’s attempt to impose its will on another, by the creation of harm or its threat, then Gates’ statement, namely, that Washington would use the U.S. military to impose its will on foreign states to open markets and investment opportunities to U.S. corporations, banks and investors, was an act of war-making.

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