it's really just a standard definition of empire, right?

it's easy to say that trump sounds crazy, but there's just as much of an argument that it's a return to sanity. the post-war order was always meant to be designed for the benefits of american exports. so, europe was designed as a dumping ground for american goods. canada was basically a state, anyways, so it made sense to integrate it.

there was this discussion going around after the election about which historical american personality trump most resembled. there was a claim of jefferson, which was met with ridicule. i suggested he was more like the king of england.

and, this is a system that is more like something the british would have come up with, because they were an empire, and they told people they were an empire, and they had a sense of reverence for their (usually) empress.

it's just that the united states has historically gone to great lengths to deny that it is an empire, due to it's historical attraction to democracy - something the current administration has no real interest in.

for all of the valid criticisms of the united states, they created a world order (it is not from nothing, but still largely theirs) that is unlike anything the world has ever seen. it failed because they destroyed it, which is what created the situation of empire we're in today. but, it worked for a little while, at least.

it sounds crazy because we're holding to these ideals that may end up as a blip in history. the blame is not the point. the normal organization of powerful states is into empires.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/04/28/leaked-draft-order-shows-trump-blamed-nafta-for-massive-wealth-transfer-lost-jobs-illegal-immigration.html