Among other things, this article shows the seamless transition of the Empire under Bush Jr to Obama. The underlying consistent force emanates from the Empire's ruling financial class and their blood-sucking banking institutions.
It's hard to imagine the persistence of a U. S. empire that relies on imperial overkill. In fact, much evidence of a dying empire can be found on the blood-soaked landscapes invaded by the U. S. military and the mad mindscapes of imperial policymakers. From the “shock and awe” bombing campaigns unleashed on Iraq by former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, to the death squads fostered by the Bush and Obama administrations in Iraq and Afghanistan, to the drone attacks in Pakistan, the U. S. political elite seems committed to what C. Wright Mills called “crackpot realism.” Such policies can only lead to increased resistance to U. S. hegemony.It appears to me that Empire's ruling class is like a wounded tiger lashing out everywhere in a last desperate attempt to save itself. Of course, this tiger is a still powerful animal and can kill a lot of people before its demise.
Only a world-wide working class that is aware of its exploitation by this class and aware of its own power, can turn developments away from death and destruction toward healthy, sustainable societies.