Sir John Glubb weighs the pros and cons of empires:
In discussing the life-story of the typical empire, we have digressed into a discussion of whether empires are useful or injurious to mankind. We seem to have discovered that empires have certain advantages, particularly in the field of commerce, and in the establishment of peace and security in vast areas of the globe. Perhaps we should also include the spread of varied cultures to many races. The present infatuation for independence for ever smaller and smaller units will eventually doubtless be succeeded by new international empires.
The present attempts to create a European community may be regarded as a practical endeavour to constitute a new super-power, in spite of the fragmentation resulting from the craze for independence. If it succeeds, some of the local independencies will have to be sacrificed. If it fails, the same result may be attained by military conquest, or by the partition of Europe between rival super-powers. The inescapable conclusion seems, however, to be that larger territorial units are a benefit to commerce and to public stability, whether the broader territory be achieved by voluntary association or by military action.
“The present infatuation for independence for ever smaller and smaller units will eventually doubtless be succeeded by new international empires.” Interesting prediction! Glubb hasn’t mentioned empires that pretend not to be empires. Is this a new phenomenon?
There’s now a DOCX version available on libgen.
DC expects everybody on the planet to do exactly as they say. But DC is sure that they’ll do so because everyone is basically good and wants what’s best (except of course for Bad People who need to have bombs dropped on their heads), which is, of course, what DC sees is good and best, because DC is obviously correct in all things, most particularly about the need for everybody to do exactly as DC says.
Whether DC formally calls itself an empire or not doesn’t seem to really matter in the context of what it actually does, and what it acually has the power to do.