Ron Paul and Stephen Kinzer on the Birth of The American Empire

How did the US empire begin? In his important new book, The True Flag: Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the Birth of American Empire, Stephen Kinzer tells the story of the nationwide debate in 1898 over whether the US should attempt to intervene in the affairs of the rest of the world. Is that debate over? Mr. Kinzer joins us to discuss in today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:

Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.

9 thoughts on “Ron Paul and Stephen Kinzer on the Birth of The American Empire”

  1. America today is too content to deny or minimize the most serious issues. Even admitting we’re an Empire is a tough one. To do so would re-ignite that same debate, but now the Anti-Imperialists would have a century of failures to call upon in defense of their arguments. To even acknowledge the existence of the Empire at this point as a national debate could tear the nation apart. Then again, it might teach us to ride the currents. There are a few Chinese and Persians living here, after all…

  2. It’s educational but I have to question it’s value as to how it’s meant to influence current thinking of Americans?
    I detect at least some of the emphasis on the libertarian agenda and that’s not helpful.
    Thomas, what is your interpretation of all of this? Does it do any good for our antiwar cause?
    US imperialism is not going to be halted or even slowed down by any movement toward the libertarian agenda. It’s much to fringe right now and it doesn’t show any signs of changing from that.

    1. Don,

      The only agenda which is anchored in reality rather than fantasy, is the libertarian agenda. All others necessarily collapse into warmongery sooner or later due to their internal contradictions. You can have peace or you can have non-libertarianism. You can’t have both.

      The US is positioned to be, and occasionally is, a net exporter of oil and other petroleum products. If Saudi Arabia et al. fell off the face of the earth, domestic oil prices would go up, but US interests in general would be fine.

      1. I wrote a reply and I don’t know if it’s going to show up here. Or whether you have it or are holding it up or somebody else. I won’t try again.

      2. Is there some purpose in holding up a post for a day? Sunday staffing? Other? Ptotecting Ron Paul?

        1. Posts that get automatically held for moderation get attended to when I get to them. Which, on weekends especially, may be awhile.

          The next time I protect Ron Paul will be the first time since 2007.

Comments are closed.