How The US Took Over The World

Certainly! Here's a revised version of your text with alternative wording and phrasing to convey the same meaning, while keeping the core ideas intact:

The Expansion of the U.S. Empire Beyond North America

To form the borders we are familiar with today, millions of acres of land had to be taken and resettled by American colonists. But the vision didn’t stop there; the idea of Manifest Destiny expanded beyond North America. This drive for territorial growth eventually transformed the U.S. into something far larger than the contiguous states most people recognize.

A Map of the U.S. Empire in 1941

Take a look at this map from the 1940s—often referred to as the "Greater U.S."—which includes not just the mainland, but also territories that were under U.S. control at the time. The familiar map of the U.S. shows the 48 contiguous states, Alaska, and Hawaii. But it also includes a variety of U.S. territories in 1941: Guam, American Samoa, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Pacific Outlying Islands, and the Caribbean Outlying Islands. Most of these territories are still under U.S. control today, with some nearly as large as the mainland.

What’s striking about this map is that it illustrates the U.S. as just one part of a vast global network of territories. And what’s even more striking is that, back in the 1940s, nearly 19 million people lived in these U.S. territories outside the mainland. So, if you lived in one of these territories, there was about a 1 in 8 chance you weren't living on the mainland. However, most Americans at the time likely didn’t think about it in those terms.

In fact, Daniel Immerwahr, the author of How to Hide an Empire, points out that in the 1930s, Americans were far more likely to read about countries like Brazil or Poland in the newspaper than about the Philippines—a U.S. territory with a population of 10-15 million people.

Life in the U.S. Territories

Life in these U.S. territories was starkly different. The people living there were often treated as secondary citizens within the empire. In these territories, American culture was imposed—people were required to salute the Stars and Stripes, learn English and U.S. history, use American dollars, and celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving. Yet, they didn’t have the same constitutional rights as those living on the mainland. Their voices were rarely heard in the halls of power, and their daily lives were subject to policies they had little control over. For many, this meant enduring colonial violence as well.

Post-World War II Expansion

After World War II, the U.S. military and political influence grew even further. Beyond territories like Guam and the Philippines, the U.S. gained military control over parts of Germany, Japan, Korea, and Austria. This brought the total number of people living under U.S. control outside the mainland to 135 million by the end of 1945. At that point, more people were living under U.S. control outside the continental U.S. than within it.

Decolonization and U.S. Global Dominance

After the war, the U.S. did something unexpected: it began to decolonize. It granted independence to the Philippines, stopped annexing new territories, and even supported the anti-colonial movements in Asia and Africa. But this wasn’t because the U.S. had abandoned imperialism; rather, it realized that a formal empire wasn’t necessary to maintain global dominance.

The Global Military System

While the U.S. relinquished many of its formal colonies, it set up a new system of global military bases that ensured its influence stretched across the globe. In fact, today, the U.S. maintains around 800 military bases worldwide, with troops stationed in approximately 159 countries. This global military presence is unparalleled. For comparison, the U.K. and France each have about 13 overseas military bases, and Russia has only 9. The U.S. has far more than any other nation.

These military installations serve many purposes: they protect U.S. interests, such as oil and corporate investments, by stationing troops near key areas. They also serve as bases for spying, nuclear weapons storage, and a launch point for military interventions or wars. These installations can also act as coercive tools for countries that rely on U.S. military protection.

Economic Power and Global Control

The U.S. has also cemented its economic dominance. The country’s GDP is massive, but its influence goes beyond trade and production. The U.S., along with institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (where it holds veto power), shaped a global economy that benefits American capital. Through policies like the Marshall Plan and loan agreements with countries in the Global South, the U.S. ensured that American corporations had easy access to foreign markets, cheap labor, and natural resources.

American economic power was further solidified when the U.S. dollar became the global currency after the collapse of the gold standard in 1971. Today, countries around the world are required to hold dollars in reserve to participate in the global economy, especially when trading in oil, which is always priced in dollars. This gives the U.S. unprecedented control over global monetary policy, with the ability to influence entire economies through actions like changing interest rates or creating money.

The Power of Sanctions

The U.S. is also the global leader in using economic sanctions. Currently, over a third of all countries face some form of U.S. sanctions, and the U.S. has imposed more than 15,000 sanctions—three times as many as the next closest country. These sanctions are a powerful tool for coercing nations into compliance, often causing immense suffering for the civilian population in the targeted country. For example, the 60-year embargo against Cuba has effectively isolated the island nation, making it incredibly difficult for its people to access basic goods and services. The U.S. government has openly stated that the goal of these sanctions is to incite hunger and desperation, hoping that it will lead to regime change.

American Empire: The Costs of Global Power

The U.S. may look small on a map, nestled between Canada and Mexico, but in reality, it is far more expansive. Its military, economic, and political power extend far beyond what is shown on a map of the U.S. mainland. This is an empire—one that has exploited millions of people for profit, destabilized regions through covert operations and military interventions, and imposed its will globally to protect corporate interests. The history of American imperialism is one of violence, exploitation, and inequality, and as history has shown, empires like this don’t last forever. Eventually, they collapse under their own weight.

This version maintains the original ideas but uses varied phrasing and expressions to keep it fresh while preserving the core meaning of the original message.