To call the American role in the world imperial was, for many who did so, a way of asserting that the United States was misusing its power beyond its borders and, in so doing, subverting its founding political principles within them.
Michael MandelbaumThe American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.
Michael MandelbaumAmerican influence in the world is certainly considerable, but the United States does not control, directly or indirectly, the politics and economics of other societies, as empires have always done, save for a few special cases that turn out to be the exceptions that prove the rule.
Michael MandelbaumThe real threat to world stability is not too much American power. It is too little American power.
Michael Mandelbaum