Journalist Abby Martin starts a new series on The Real News and Telesur, the Empire Files. In this opening episode she examines US Empire around the world, tracing its history and describes its empire of military bases.
It is good to see the word “Empire” used in the media. The corporate media avoids this term. Even though the United States is the largest empire in world history, it is a secret to most Americans because it is never discussed by politicians or the press.
If the US Empire were discussed and people understood it there would be growing opposition. People would realize the US economy is an ‘empire economy’ and this creates many problems. Among those problems are immense military spending rather than spending on the needs of people and planet; creating wealth for the oligarchs and political leaders in countries that are part of the US Empire; and creating wealth for transnational corporations even if it means going to war to do so.
Understanding US Empire would also make it easier to understand US military and economic interventions around the world. It would explain the US supported coup in Ukraine, working with oligarchs to try and create a coup in Venezuela, the movement of weapons with NATO surrounding Russia, the Asian Pivot surrounding China, the corporate rigged trade agreements like the TPP… so much would become much better understood, often just by looking at a map. We look forward to Abby exploring these issues, each is filled with falsehood in the US media, so lots of clarity it needed.