AH Challenge: 'American Empire' a Popular Term

Alright, so, with a PoD of 1900 come up with a way to make the term 'American Empire' a popular, accepted and neutral term globally,
as well as in the United States itself.

Extra points if you get the average American referring to the country as 'the Empire' in normal conversation.


Oh, and no revolution to make it an actual Empire either.
 
America takes on a more Imperialistic mindset and expands its influence into central america and the caribbean, with the intent of eventually integrating those states. Teddy Roosevelt is elected to four terms.
 
Taft agrees to become TRs VP. TR wins in 1912. By 1915, TR declares war on Germany. He wins a fourth term and defeats the Germans by mid 1917. The Netherlands are formed into a German puppet (not really a puppet, but more like how Belgium was to Britain) and joins the CA.
Unlike Wilson, Roosevelt claimed war spoils. He gets German Islands in the Pacific. He gains Kilawasi and all Dutch possessions east and south of it. He takes Suriname and he then goes on to buy Greenland from Denmark.
The DR is made a territory, and a Protectorate status reaches Columbia and Costa Rica.

By 1918, news papers commonly refer to TR and Emperor Teddy.... and thus the American Empire, or Empire for short, gets absorbed into American Vernacular.


How's that?
 
Easy. McCain somehow wins in 08. He launches an invasion of Iran, which with Afghanistan and Iraq constitute an empire stretching from Turkey to Mongolia.
 
Well, terminology is a completely different pair of shoes as actual power ...

Back to the challenge: I don't see it with so late a PoD.
If you go back to a decade, say, after Independence, that's more easy even if you don't change much about history since. The US have adopted a lot of aristocratic vocabulary (governor, county, sheriff, imperial units) - so why not Empire for the country and Crown for the currency?
 
How about a Musical POD?

Say during Reagan's push for cruise missiles in Europe, some liberal musical band (Yes I know it's a strech!;)) or better yet group of bands launch a protest album, with American Empire as a theme.

Think "We are the world" only with cooler imperial themed music.

If fails but kicks off a round of debate if the presence of US troops everywhere constitutes an Empire.

A couple of books, a movie or two using the music as a themes, and the term getting continued use as a slur on the left.


But eventually being used just as descriptive term lacking negative connotations.
 
Visit almost any Latin American country and ask the average person their opinion on the United States. Believe me, it's a common term, just not north of Mexico.
 
Surely you jest sir?

Corbell, interesting idea, but I'm not quite sure if the usage of the term would ever become truly positive without somewhat larger repercussions.

Hmm, noting David's post perhaps Jeane Kirkpatrick mentions that to Reagan and he uses the line in a rebuttal speech, Empire of Liberty, instead of "Tear down this wall".

Now both sides are using it.

Then when the push for Germany reunification begins, President Bush dismisses Soviet objections and "welcomes eastern Germany back into the Empire of Liberty.

Bout time now for it to be picked up in video games!:cool:

Oh, and it doesn't have to be postive, just neutral.
 

Tellus

Banned
How about an education pod? :p

Seriously, I sometimes ponder how come in the current state of affairs, most Americans reject so strongly the notion that their foreign policy is imperial at best. I have no trouble using the term 'American Empire' in casual conversation here and it doesn't raise eyebrows, and haven't for awhile. But whenever an American is within earshot, or on a forum, it pretty much guarantees a long diatribe about democracy and freedom. :rolleyes:

So my point; if Americans themselves became more judgmental, critical or informed about the real motivators, causes and impacts of their foreign policy, I suspect that without making any substantial changes to actual events, the terminology could become much more widespread.

Ultimately, though, for mass appeal, you probably need to ensure that to the common American, the term's "coolness" stays high. Unless they feel proud to call themselves imperial, they will try to argue it's false on technical grounds. Nobody wants to popularize a label they feel is disadvantageous or self-depreciating.
 
Britain's Empire was full of states and polities that had all sorts of legal arrangments rather than being incorporated by conquest. Perhaps the US could build up a number of protectorate, trucial states and the like and perhaps some LoN Mandates after WW1 which would be called an empire for lexionographical conveniences. This voluntary empire, much like the myriad of arrangements Britain had in the Mid East, could avoid the negative connotations now associated with the term Empire and it could be used daily without scorn.
 
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