The Empire Strikes Back

“Death is the great scandal in the experience of man; for death—as the destruction of the human person…is the very negation of all man experiences as specifically human in his existence’” – Hans J Morgenthau (Death in the Nuclear Age).

The United States of America does not traditionally evoke the label of “Empire.” However, its domain over world affairs may warrant a modern review. An empire is defined as “an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority.” While the United States has only technically declared war 11 times over 10 different countries, it has invaded 68 different countries. The United States prefers the term “militarily involved,” but if this is the case, then the United States has been “militarily involved” with every country on the globe besides three (Andorra, Bhutan, and Liechtenstein). American military involvement has ranged from mercenary and relief missions to outright invasion and atomic bombings. Despite this ambiguity, the United States has clearly exercised its military might to influence high levels of global affairs.

The dawn of the Nuclear Age was radicalized under the political authority of the United States. 

The United States raced with Nazi Germany to develop the first atomic weapons. There were concerns that if the Nazis were to develop the bomb first, they could potentially use it to gain a significant advantage in the war. For America to preserve world peace, she was compelled to assemble the bomb first. Amid America’s already costly war with Japan, the atomic bomb was seen as a way to bring about a swift end to all conflict. Any other alternative seemed too dubiously plausible. Nevertheless, a demonstration of American military might to the Soviet Union and other potential adversaries proved to be a benefit. Nuclear arms sent a message that the United States possessed a powerful weapon and was willing to use it to protect its interests and security. The scientific development of the bomb, The Manhattan Project, operated under absolute secrecy. Few Americans knew of such federal projects. The total cost for the United States’s World War II pursuits ranged around $3 trillion. Unbeknownst to the American public, the Federal Reserve Bank (FED) exploited the national money supply to facilitate government debt and finance war spending. The American political institution may have had intentions for the security of the nation, but it consequently designed an era that granted excessive and overwhelming power to the federal government. Private American banks financed German manufacturing leading up to World War II. The FED cooperates with private banks and requires that their loans are paid back. One must question the motivations behind the federal government given their relationship with the financiers of a global enemy. Even more so, one should consider why an arms race for the nuclear threat to all of humanity traces back to the generosity of bank funding.

For years, America was the only possessor of a catastrophic guarantee for death. What happens when they are not? A looming question presides over the political power of those in government harnessing a weapon of mass destruction. This can ensure that a state fears itself, for if they did not know the Manhattan Project, what else do the people not know? Is a democracy represented by all votes, or are there contingencies upon the preferences of financiers? The Federal Reserve Bank nonetheless manipulated American debt to install a nuclear world order. This domesticated foreign policy among American enemies to obtain their own nuclear weaponries. This established an imbalance among America and her alliances: American forces dominate. America’s nuclear power tyrannized the stage of international politics and encapsulated the later fervor for an American cinematic novelty: The Death Star. 

The Galactic Empire in Star Wars was inevitable due to the culmination of political manipulation and unrest within the Galactic Republic. Amidst corruption, inefficiency, and a prolonged period of conflict, Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power appeared as a solution to restore order and stability. His manipulation of galactic politics allowed the Empire to come into fruition; he used crises and fear to garner support. This authoritarian regime mobilized a vast military to maintain control using intimidation and force. The Empire’s expansionist approach to war coupled with its authoritarian rule created a galactic regime marked by oppressive dominance. The relentless ambition that ensued led to the creation of the Death Star, a superweapon capable of destroying entire planets, demonstrating the devastating consequences of unchecked authority. The Death Star in Star Wars is a massive space station armed with a superlaser capable of obliterating entire planets. Similarly, a nuclear bomb represents one of the most destructive weapons ever created by humanity, with the potential to extinguish entire cities. In Star Wars, the Galactic Empire used the Death Star to keep systems in line through the threat of annihilation. Similarly, the possession of nuclear weapons by certain nations in the real world has been used as a deterrent and a means of exerting influence on the global stage. The pervasive fear of nuclear conflict and the annihilation of civilization has thus shaped international politics and diplomacy in America’s favor. 

The characters in Star Wars and real-world leaders have had to grapple with the ethical implications of wielding such power. The Death Star’s creator intentionally designed a fatal flaw into the super weapon, but dismantling the global nuclear arsenal is a more complex matter. Just as the Rebel Alliance in Star Wars seeks to destroy or neutralize the Death Star, various global initiatives and organizations work towards disarmament and the reduction of nuclear arsenals, with the hope of eventually eliminating the threat posed by these weapons. In tandem with NGOs, diplomatic efforts such as non-proliferation treaties and arms control agreements seek to prevent the spread and misuse of nuclear weapons to maintain global stability. Yet in 2021, the United States allocated $100 billion towards the development of her nuclear arsenal. She has since provided almost $80 billion dollars to aid Ukraine’s war efforts. Since 9/11, the federal government mandated that $8 trillion should be spent towards war. The American Empire struggles with a curious addiction to war. The government feigns for trillions of dollars to keep from withdrawal; a national debt of $33 trillion dollars does not compare to the euphoria of power. The Galactic Empire did not cease because the Death Star was destroyed — killing Emperor Palpatine did. The dangers of an American Empire will likewise not dissolve if nuclear weapons are terminated. Those who established the means of financing the Nuclear Age are the true threat; the secret profiteers of war are the emperors of death.

Alexis Hyde ’25 studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at a.c.hyde@wustl.edu.