US: From Isolated Republic to Global Empire

Chief among those things was this: If the Founders of the American Republic could come back today, they would be most astounded, among all the vast changes that time has wrought, by the militarization of the United States. Since World War I, this country has been totally transformed by war and constant preparation for war.

American militarism has been the chief force in changing a decentralized federal republic into a centralized, bureaucratic monolith. During World War I the United States underwent an amazingly swift metamorphosis. World War II accelerated the alteration. The Cold War completed the transformation from isolated republic to global empire. We became inured to limitless government in the name of ‘defense’ and ‘national security.’

* Joe Sobran is a nationally syndicated columnist. He also edits SOBRAN‘S, a monthly newsletter of his essays and columns. He invites you to try his new collection of aphorisms, ‘Anything Called a “Program” Is Unconstitutional: Confessions of a Reactionary Utopian.’ You can get a free copy by subscribing or renewing your subscription to Sobran’s. Just call 800-513-5053, or see his website, www.sobran.com.

(He’s still available for speaking engagements, too.)