The US started to become an empire in 1924-1947, when the US erected the DS agencies, our equivalent of Rome's private armies.
The descent into empire sped up, once general wealth stopped expanding fast (c. 1974), and the new Elites (e.g. Sil. Valley) came to care more about customers in China etc., than about citizens of the empire.
And, it was easier for the DS to intimidate (brass of) the new centralized media (radio, TV, etc.), e.g. w/ sabotage of wires etc.) than to wield threats at the preceding hundreds of newspapers, mags etc.
I think the republic ended with the civil war. Beyond that was federal overreach, constant increase intje number and amount of taxes, and foreign ebtanglements. The last to me is clear indication and function of an empire.
The US started to become an empire in 1924-1947, when the US erected the DS agencies, our equivalent of Rome's private armies.
The descent into empire sped up, once general wealth stopped expanding fast (c. 1974), and the new Elites (e.g. Sil. Valley) came to care more about customers in China etc., than about citizens of the empire.
And, it was easier for the DS to intimidate (brass of) the new centralized media (radio, TV, etc.), e.g. w/ sabotage of wires etc.) than to wield threats at the preceding hundreds of newspapers, mags etc.
I think the republic ended with the civil war. Beyond that was federal overreach, constant increase intje number and amount of taxes, and foreign ebtanglements. The last to me is clear indication and function of an empire.
Sorry, but this looks like the end of an empire.