Sophistry

–noun, plural -ries.

1.	a subtle, tricky, superficially plausible, but generally fallacious method of reasoning.

2.	a false argument; sophism.

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American Empire Part I

I fear an American Empire. Especially when we explored in class what seems to be the real motives in beginning and persisting with the war, the whiff of this end whirls through the air. Though certainly not a distinct future at this point, it is not hard to imagine a few more key events leading, inevitably, to American democracy becoming the next biggest worldwide oppressor.

This time, however, the ground will slip under the people rather experience deliberate disregard for them (such an empire as Roman gave passing concern to plebeians on a daily basis). In a country built on freedom and the participation of people in the government, the government must slowly be pried away. Perhaps it is only my experience, but this is what I’ve felt happening in the last few years—more and more people plead for change, and less and less happens. Undermined, people lose faith in the system. Rather than spurring more change, it robs people of initiative. This will reach a breaking point, accompanied by revolt, but until then, how much power will government officials sap? I fear by the time people rise up, the government will be too powerful to rise against.

America has put a large stars and stripes blueprint in the Middle East. It does not matter whether unconvincing threats or merely financial gain will drive us to overthrow more countries in the area. This is exactly what an Empire does—seek to expand, by force. While “establishing democracy” is certainly not a bad thing, forcibly establishing democracy is a farce. It will produce no free people and only puppet leaders. Instead, our presence as the best example of a terrorist threat is being established—literally, through terror, we are daring the world's hand. That is unfortunately the role of a superpower—save a superpower with moral obligations, which our country has not only in recent years, but throughout the last half century, abandoned, we have the power to crush others and instead of suppressing it, use it. If I did not live here, I would be terrified. I live here, and I still am.