American Umpire - Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman

Commentators call the United States an empire: occasionally a benign empire, sometimes an empire in denial, often a destructive empire. In American Umpire, Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman asserts instead that America has performed the role of umpire since 1776, compelling adherence to rules that gradually earned broad approval, and violating them as well.
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[@Kit-se3zs]

The documentary was very good. I just watched it this morning on PBS. At first it seemed like propoganda in support of further American dominance in the world, but toward the end I was mostly satisfied with the questions it posed. Our role as global "police" force has cost our country dearly over the years, and I love the fact that it pointed out our sad national decline in education, infrastructure, and GDP while other countries successes have soared on our backs. We simply can't afford to support the world anymore, while our own country crumbles. Going forward I want to see my taxes go toward fixing these issues at home rather than the various and damaging global military pursuits.

[@charlesknight747]

The analogy of the U.S. post-war global role to that of an umpire is wrong-headed. A dominant player in the game can't umpire the game at the same time. Umpires have a special role (by consent of the players) to be the neutral / disinterested enforcers of rules. The idea of the U.S. as a neutral / disinterested umpire is ludicrous and is either a deceptive apology for a global hegemonic project or a self-serving delusion.

[@GB30505]

Ok - so, given the current scenario, how else should we be doing all of this? And when I say "we", I mean the world.