In the eyes of most Americans the prospect that the United States may one day become a full-fledged Empire seems frightening. Whenever I point out the striking similarities between Rome and this country, my audience visibly winces and utters the noises we associate with polite disbelief. This in itself is significant since there has been perhaps no other nation in history that shrank from imperial prospects—except the Romans. Germans, Russians, Britons, French, even Italians used to seize the reality or at least the illusion of overseas glory and imperial destiny; they were proud when told that they were destined to conquer the world, rule races and waves, and preserve order in their own ultimate interest.
Smallness Equals Goodness?
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