Colossus - a look at the American Empire

The follow up to Empire (outlined below) - Ferguson applies the same model he used to evaluate the impact of the British Empire - and now examines the limits and magnitude of American influence in the post cold war world.

No one - including Ferguson - can argue that there is another power even remotely as wide ranging as that demonstrated by America. Culturally, economically, politically, militarily - America is currently without peer. Given that level of influence, Ferguson makes the case that this hegemony is both necessary and beneficial to the world.

Ferguson's argument is not that the U.S. should try to copy the British Imperial model - but instead that America should learn from their predecessors and in effect quit trying to rationalize the fact that the US is not an empire (as both politicians and the media are inclined to cite) but rather to exert that influence effectively and benevolently.

Ferguson argues that despite the ability of the United States to be a force for good in the world, the American "empire," demonstrates serious weaknesses due to its three "deficits" - its financial deficit, its manpower deficit, and its attention deficit.

The financial deficit comes not from military spending, but from the estimated $45 trillion in unfunded liabilities from Medicare/Medicaid and, to a lesser extent, Social Security. The manpower deficit comes not from a lack of population, but from an unwillingness of Americans to serve abroad, either in the military or in civilian positions. The attention deficit derives from the American desire for instant solutions - and the lack of "stomach" for long difficult jobs including national rehabilitation of regions with NO history of democratic or even civil rule.

His argument in the end is subtle but I think accurate. We do have a model for "nation building" in places like Sudan and Iraq - but not a willingness to make the long term commitment necessary to overcome those three fundamental deficits - and to act as a true leader of nations.

Ferguson's book seeks to outline and explain - not to create solutions for US policy makers. It provides a perspective lost on most Americans and is thus very much worth reading - especially as a counterpoint to his work on the British Empire.