If you could draw a map of the "American empire," what would

[Skidmore]

it look like? We have a few identified territories to be sure, mostly islands. Beyond this, what is the criteria to be considered part of this empire. I honestly can't visualize what this looks like. The old USSR had definite boundaries. It was readily identifiable.

[Glorfindel]

1. Probably any country that the USA could bribe, coerce, or threaten into doing its bidding

at any given time, with fluctuating "allies" and "enemies" depending on circumstances. I'm afraid our country is much more universally hated and feared than loved.

[Skidmore]

6. So just because a state is an ally, it automatically becomes part of an empire.

Are Japan's allies considered part of a Japanese empire. How about Australia's allies? Or any other state that has allies? Does the cummulative group of allies for each state make them empires too?

[woo me with science]

11. Excellent response.

How many "regime changes" has the US abetted?

And if countries can be bullied into behavior that serves the One Percent without regime change, then so much the better...

After we moved into Iraq, 80 percent of its oil was signed over to global oil corporations.

[geek tragedy]

13. The US is actually pretty popular globally.

States threaten and bribe each other all the time. It's called diplomacy, and yes the US gets bribed and threatened too.

[malaise]

2. Glorfindel gave you the thread winner

[Coventina]

3. Hawaii would be on there. That was a hostile takeover of an independent country.

One of the worst stains on our national honor that has yet to be in any way rectified.

[Skidmore]

4. Hawaii is currently a state of the US>

It is not a protectorate or a territory but a state and has been for decades.

[Coventina]

7. True, but it is a victim of US imperialism. Just ask the native Hawaiians.

I guess I misunderstood the parameters of your OP.

[3rdwaydem]

5. It's boundaries end where there are no Coke, McDonalds or Marlboro signs

[valerief]

9. Ha! Sounds like you nailed it.

[cali]

8. It think we're redefining the word "Empire"

When you have your military stationed in countries all over the globe, that's empire.

[valerief]

10. But it's not an American empire. It's a corporate empire. American slaves, Communist Chinese slaves,

Indian slaves, we're all the same to the corporate empire.

[BlindTiresias]

12. There was a book about this, actually

http://www.amazon.com/Empire-Michael-Hardt/dp/0674006712/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411746058&sr=8-1&keywords=Empire

Read it and you will understand.

To be honest it is not so much an -American- Empire as it is a -Global Financial Empire- of which the US is currently at the helm.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

14. It's easier to...

...get globe and mark what isn't US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_military_bases

I remember a number of around 400 and change and about half are foreign, (I think).

[Orsino]

15. It's not an American empire.

America is just its military headquarters.