imperialism: the
policy, practice, or advocacy of extending the power and dominion of a
nation especially by direct territorial acquisitions or by gaining
indirect control over the political or economic life of other areas;
broadly: the extension or imposition of power, authority, or influence.
For
some, the Iraq invasion in 2003 seems unprecedented, as if nothing of
the sort had ever happened before; and then, nearly a decade later, it
happened again with Libya in 2011. In both cases, Americans were told
there was an imminent threat, and military action must be taken to stop
it; in both cases, the 'threat' was nothing more than fabrication (Iraq) and exaggeration (Libya). - Read more.