US Military bases in the Pacific: why, how and their significance.

What is it about?

This piece looks at how and why the US acquired military bases in Micronesia and the significance of the bases themselves for the region and US security. More importantly it examines theoretically the question of how empires can expand by more subtle means, namely purchase and lease, and therefore hide their status.

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Why is it important?

People assume empires expand by conquest but there are other means to do so which often go over-looked, namely through purchase and lease. The latter has huge significance historically for US expansion in general but also today, both for empires like the US and for other state-corporate players in Africa.