--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is a cliche these days to observe that…" description: "\"It is a cliche these days to observe that the United States now possesses a global empire - different from Britain's and Rome's but an empire nonethele..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/robert-d-kaplan-12644_america_it-is-a-cliche-these-days-to-observe-tha_3169220.png" --- # It is a cliche these days to observe that the United… ![“It is a cliche these days to observe that the United States now possesses a global empire - different from Britain's and Rome's but an empire nonetheless.” quote by Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/robert-d-kaplan-12644_america_it-is-a-cliche-these-days-to-observe-tha_3169220.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/robert-d-kaplan-12644_america_it-is-a-cliche-these-days-to-observe-tha_3169220.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ce9/robert-d-kaplan-12644_america_it-is-a-cliche-these-days-to-observe-tha_3169220.png) > “It is a cliche these days to observe that the United States now possesses a global empire - different from Britain's and Rome's but an empire nonetheless.” [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The U.S. now holds a worldwide influence comparable to historic empires, though its nature differs. **In simple terms:** America is a modern global empire. Key Takeaway Recognize and evaluate U.S. global role. Themes power imperialism globalization Mood analytical critical Type political historical When to use this quote - foreign policy analysis - education - media discourse - political debate Key Concepts geopolitics soft power Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities accompany global power? - How does this view affect foreign policy? A Different Perspective Defining empire can oversimplify complex influence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Rome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rome/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) ## Related quotes > [“The global empire being forged before our eyes is not governed by any particular state or ethnic group. Much like the Late Roman Empire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/the-global-empire-being-forged-before-our-eyes-is-not-governed-by-any/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [In the past, Britons were scathing about the cruelties of the old Roman empire and the excesses of Catholic empire builders such as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/in-the-past-britons-were-scathing-about-the-cruelties-of-the-old/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [If you look at the history of the U.S., we were an empire long before we were a nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/if-you-look-at-the-history-of-the-u-s-we-were-an-empire-long-before/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [“The Age of Intellect is accompanied by surprising advances in natural science. 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The Roman Empire is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/the-romans-have-provided-a-lot-of-writers-with-a-model-for-various/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's \*because\* they sat there that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/anybody-who-ever-built-an-empire-or-changed-the-world-sat-where-you/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [“When you fear nothing, you have nothing to fear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-f-chandler/when-you-fear-nothing-you-have-nothing-to-fear/) S.F. Chandler > [“What really lies beneath our feet at each moment is not a usefulness, but an inaccessible netherworld that we can use because it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-harman/what-really-lies-beneath-our-feet-at-each-moment-is-not-a-usefulness/) [Graham Harman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-harman/) > [I don't want a trillion-dollar empire to run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/i-don-t-want-a-trillion-dollar-empire-to-run/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [“I got tired of constantly watching shrewd little bullies like you walk around like you mean something, like you’re better than the people that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-rankin/i-got-tired-of-constantly-watching-shrewd-little-bullies-like-you/) [Christopher Rankin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-rankin/) > [My mind to me an empire is,While grace affordeth health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dyer/my-mind-to-me-an-empire-is-while-grace-affordeth-health/) [Edward Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dyer/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [We'd always come into Syracuse for the Empire State Games and the stair fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-biden/we-d-always-come-into-syracuse-for-the-empire-state-games-and-the/) [Beau Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-biden/) ## More by Robert D. Kaplan > [“And so this is where the post Cold War has brought us: to the recognition that the very totalitarism that we fought against in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/and-so-this-is-where-the-post-cold-war-has-brought-us-to-the/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [“Or take the opportunity offered to the United States following the attacks of September 11, 2001, when both Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Mohammed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/or-take-the-opportunity-offered-to-the-united-states-following-the/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [When you talk about aiding this country against that country or about fighting terrorism, when you actually take that decision and strip it down,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/when-you-talk-about-aiding-this-country-against-that-country-or-about/) [Robert D. 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Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [The masses cannot ultimately be free: only the individual can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/the-masses-cannot-ultimately-be-free-only-the-individual-can-be/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [The closer one gets to either the eastern or the southern fringe of the German-speaking world-the closer one gets, in other words, to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/the-closer-one-gets-to-either-the-eastern-or-the-southern-fringe-of/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [“The South China Sea functions as the throat of the Western Pacific and Indian oceans—the mass of connective economic tissue where global sea routes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/the-south-china-sea-functions-as-the-throat-of-the-western-pacific/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [“A better age would have to follow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/a-better-age-would-have-to-follow/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) [Explore all 54 Robert D. Kaplan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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