We often see the word “imperial” used as a pejorative to describe American foreign policy. Historically, however, empires were smarter than revolutionary great powers exporting their ideology. A true empire, one ruled by a set of realist elites uninfluenced by ethnocentric lobbies in the imperial capital, would warn Far Eastern protectorates not to push too much for expanding an alliance that would dilute the core interest of the group, and increase the risk of dragging the hegemon into a great power war.

A true empire would understand when it is being taken advantage of by satellites for their petty and historic tribalistic grievances. A smart empire would warn the arrogant tribal leader of the foederati not to throw a hissy fit, and to come to the negotiation table or else lose all the patronage that keeps its fragile administration running. An empire can make protectorates pay for their upkeep instead of letting them leech. An empire would, above all, learn to prioritize theaters and focus on the far greater threat slowly rising in the East.