Pax Americana

The term Pax Americana (Latin: "American peace"), denoting the period of relative peace in the Western world since World War II, places the USA in the role of a modern-day Roman Empire (compare Pax Romana).

During this period the USA has been involved to a greater or lesser extent in various regional wars, and has maintained espionage and covert operations in many other areas.

The term "Pax Americana" is used by critics of American policy to describe a supposed effort to suppress countries which do not cooperate with American policy (so called "rogue states" ).

Many supporters of the USA do not consider the country to be imperialist, and argue that it has a long history of isolationism. However, many people believe that the United States has sought, or has found itself forced into, a quasi-imperialist role by its status as the world's sole superpower.

Generally, supporters of US foreign policy regard interventions by the USA as forced upon it by moral necessity or self-defense (including defense of "US national interests" abroad, which are usually economic interests, such as access to petroleum reserves), and characterize criticism as Anti-Americanism. They may describe world affairs in moral terms, rather than in terms of realpolitik and moral equivalence, as "good guys" (themselves) who need not apologize for their morally justified actions, vs. "bad guys". It is this view that the US can do no wrong that causes many critics to view the United States as arrogant and disrespectful of the the rule of international law.

See also:

• Cold War, British Empire, white man's burden, Bush Doctrine, hegemony

External links:

• http://www.commondreams.org/views01/1122-06.htm