Andrew J. Bacevich gets it. Also writing in the Post, Bacevich tells us it's time to get over our skittishness about that nasty "e" word...

For many Americans, "empire" remains a dirty word, alien to our preferred self-image. The position that the United States should never have gotten into the empire business is an honorable one. But that viewpoint offers little guidance for policymakers now wrestling with the challenges posed by this nation's ever-expanding commitments and obligations. Thinking in imperial terms just might.

Hence the question: What insights flow from admitting that the United States — whether it likes it or not — is engaged in an imperial enterprise?

One insight that flows is that it doesn't do any good to engage in the now-settled debate about whether we are an empire or not. Duh. We are. Maybe Karl Rove will come up with a more comfortable name for it. Something to accompany "compassionate conservatism" as a marketing phrase. How about "empathetic empire"? "Humane hegemony"? "The Kingdom of Kindness"? "Faith-Based Dominion"? (Er, scratch that last one.)

Of course, no matter what kind of marketing euphemism we use, we're going to have to face the cold reality of being an empire instead of a republic. After all, our subjects (I love saying that!) might resent being ruled by a U.S. President they didn't elect by majority vote (I know it still bothers me). So we can expect to have to do some behavior correction, and we'll need a military with enough killing power to correct, potentially, a lot of anti-imperial behavior. I mean, I saw "Star Wars"--those Rebel Forces were crafty devils. We're gonna have to be ready.

Bacevich has the plan:

An imperial military has three functions: to dominate (thereby deterring or intimidating); to punish (demonstrating the futility of opposition); and to police (maintaining order and a modicum of decency). In the emerging Pax Americana, the first function belongs primarily to the U.S. Air Force, especially as it presses into outer space. The second function is shared between the Air Force and the Navy, with an important place in certain contingencies for the Marine Corps and Special Operations forces. The third function belongs logically to the U.S. Army. But the Army has thus far refused to embrace this essentially constabulary role and resists the cultural, doctrinal and organizational changes that it demands.
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Article Author: Brian Flemming

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