Philip S. Golub is associate professor at the American University of Paris, lecturer at the University of Paris VIII and author of "Power, Profit and Prestige. A History of American Imperial Expansion," Pluto Press, London 2010.

to read Philip S. Golub's article published in the original English in: Le Monde diplomatique, December 2010, visit

http://mondediplo.com/2010/12/09empire