PALLADIUM 13: Global Empire is now available to all Palladium members. Subscribe today to receive your copy of our spring 2024 print edition, featuring on-the-ground reports ranging from the core of the empire in Davos, where Jonah Bennett unveils the World Economic Forum, to the very fringes in Afghanistan, where David Oks travels to the Taliban-reconquered country to examine the impact of U.S. occupation. This edition evaluates this global American empire through historical case studies and novel political theory by Costin Alamariu, Byrne Hobart, Samo Burja, Richard Hanania, and others.

The ancient Romans and Chinese believed they ruled over the whole world; at least, all of it that mattered. The British were arguably the first to truly succeed in the eternal quest for global hegemony, becoming the greatest maritime empire of all time, but it wasn’t long before another English-speaking industrial power replaced them: the United States of America. To say that the United States is a global empire is considered impolitic. Americans prefer to see themselves as citizens of a grand republic, which only occasionally uses its preeminent economic and military might to intervene abroad, and only for common-sense humanitarian reasons. But maybe those are just the same thing. 

Maybe Americans shouldn’t be embarrassed to be Imperials, but proud to take their place in the future history books alongside Rome, China, and Britain. Maybe they shouldn’t. One way or the other, an open and honest discussion of the origin, extent, and form of U.S. power in the world is a prerequisite to reform, both at home and worldwide.

PALLADIUM 13: Global Empire is the first step in that conversation, bringing together the best first-hand accounts and meticulous analyses of American power from the last five years of our publishing. With this edition, we hope to provide a preliminary account of U.S. power. Like all our print editions, PALLADIUM 13 is a luxury creation designed for aesthetic enjoyment and focused thinking. It is a gift for our members and not for sale. Become a Palladium member today to receive your copy. 

Additionally, the first ten first-time subscribers will receive the gift of an exclusive copy of PALLADIUM 12: Silicon Nemesis featuring Grimes. 

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*All members also receive benefits of lower tiers. New subscribers will receive upcoming quarterly print editions. PALLADIUM 13: Global Empire ships internationally on March 21st. Our print publication is a quarterly newsletter that informs members about our public interest research, reporting, and analysis.

Featuring

Nuclear Powers Still Rule The World by Matt Ellison. The United States is waking up to our new geopolitical normal—a world of competition with rising powers. We need to discard entrenched foreign policy and go back to first principles.

The Rise and Fall of Liberal Democratic Peace Theory by Jonah Bennett. A foundational claim of the liberal international order is that democracies virtually never go to war against each other. In reality, this peace has little to do with anything inherent in liberalism.

The Multipolar World Dies in Ukraine by Brian Balkus. With war underway in Ukraine, Russia and Europe are once again divided. Their ultimate dependency on China and the U.S. sounds the death knell for a multipolar world.

A Trip Behind the Spectacle at Davos by Jonah Bennett. The global image of Davos is as a network of elite interests, social agendas, and competing ambitions. Those who make the trip are confronted by a gathering full of uninspired strivers.

Why the US Dollar Could Outlast the American Empire by Bryne Hobart. Observers regularly predict the U.S. dollar’s collapse as the global reserve currency. In reality, history shows that currency dominance is one of the most enduring forms of hegemony.

The German Behind America’s Postwar Strategy by Matt Ellison. Gustav Hilger, a today little known World War II statesman, exerted enormous influence on U.S. architects of the post-war international order, demonstrating the pragmatic hidden behind liberal values.

The Lesson That America Did Not Learn From Vietnam by Costin Alamariu. The Vietnam War is seen as either unwinnable or undermined by peaceniks. In fact, there was nothing to be won, as the U.S. dropped its only potential allies as incompatible with liberalism.

The West Lives On in the Taliban’s Afghanistan by David Oks. The Taliban has succeeded in reconquering Afghanistan. But while the U.S. may be gone, the new regime faces increasing Westernization among its subjects—and its own fighters.

China’s Real Threat Is to America’s Ruling Ideology by Richard Hanania. America’s China hawks paint the country as an economic, geopolitical, and military danger. In reality, China is less a threat to America itself than it is to the legitimacy of U.S. ruling ideology.

The First World Government by Samo Burja. The United States has fulfilled the ancient dream of universal hegemony. This first world government won’t be the last.