Let's Admit That We Have an Empire

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 The Romans did not have to ideologically defeat every culture they brought into their empire. They only required that they acknowledged the empire's sovereignty.

Americans should really just acknowledge that their government rules an empire, and the government folks might admit it as well.

Then the question would become, "How can we rule this empire most prudently and justly?"

And at that point we'd be having a genuine discussion.

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