The United States has had an empire for a long time. Despite all the public relations, empires exist only to benefit the rulers. Chalmers Johnson presents evidence for his conclusions in Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic. The American Empire has 5 global military commands, more than one million women and men on four continents, has a carrier battle group in each ocean, guarantees the survival of regimes in Iraq, South Korea and Israel and dominates the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization.

The US Defense Department’s 2005 Base Structure Report shows 737 military bases in foreign countries. With no given reason, the Report omits bases in Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar and Uzbekistan.