Consummate insider Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson – former chief of staff to Colin Powell, and now distinguished adjunct professor of Government and Public Policy at William & Mary – notes that the U.S. is exhibiting all of the signs of a failing empire, including:
Relying on massive military force (and using gigantic complexes to support it) as the be-all and end-all of power, and belittling diplomacy
Maintaining standing armies, instead of disbanding military forces between wars
Using more mercenary forces than citizen troops
Spending disproportionately large amounts of blood and treasure in order to counter threats on the status quo … which simply exacerbates the threat against the empire
Going ethically and morally bankrupt
Ending up up having bankers and financiers end up running the real power
Suffering great hiccups in finance and trade
The leaders no longer really believe in or follow the ideals of the founders
The U.S. is also following the age-old recipe for imperial decline by: