It's a well known "secret" that the USA has transitioned fully to empire from Constitutional Republic. While the tentacles of the government of the United States stretch the world, the people's rights at home are being destroyed. I don't want to argue whether the USA is an empire or not, since I cannot see an objective analysis which says that it's not. I want to see an argument for why it's better for the USA to be an empire rather than a constitutional republic. I can't imagine that the only people in these United States that wish for empire are government officials, there has to be support by the population as well, even if it is misguided. So, basically, why does the USA need 900 military bases in a 140 different countries across the world? BTW, i believe there are only 190 countries in total, lol. That's just a guess, but it is somewhere around that number or less, i believe. So, why should the people of the USA pay with taxes, their lives (for those fighting for empire in the military) and their individual rights (ever increasing power of the government here in the USA), so the powers that be get to play at hegemonic empire? It brings absolutely no positives to the vast majority of people here in the USA. And in fact, it destroys their lives. The people here work their asses off so government can get rich and pay off their buddies and rule the world. Makes no sense to me, but i'm open to opinions. So, why is empire preffered to some of you?
We are an empire because people smell what we are cooking. We cannot cook what they smell without being a republic. Hope that helps.
I think you will find that those who favor an empire, tend not to be the one's actually risking their lives for it. As an example, Ron Paul, who espouses a non interventionist foreign policy, gets more donations from the military than all other GOP candidates combined and more than our current President. Ron Paul gets it and so do our troops.