Global
Research, May 16, 2016
Region: USA
Post-colonial empires are complex
organizations. They are organized on a multi-tiered basis, ranging from
relative autonomous national and regional allies to subservient vassal states,
with variations in between.
In the contemporary period, the idea of empire
does not operate as a stable global structure, though it may
aspire and strive for such. While the US is the major imperial
power, it does not dominate some leading global political-economic
and military powers, like Russia and China.
Imperial powers, like the US, have well-established regional satellites
but have also suffered setbacks and retreats from independent local economic
and political challengers.
Empire is not a fixed structure rigidly embedded in
military or economic institutions. It contains sets of competing forces
and relations, which can change over time and circumstances. Moreover,
imperial allies and clients do not operate through fixed patterns of submission.
While there is submission to general agreements on ideology,
military doctrine and economic policy identified with imperial rulers, there
are cases of vassal states pursuing their own links with non-imperial markets,
investors and exporters.
