In which leading China-basher @matthewstoller clarifies that he "doesn& #39;t like" to refer to the US as an empire, that the US can be viewed as a "provider of global public goods", and that there is "nothing inherent about the American order" that is murderous...

Speaking about the US

Michael Tracey: "You could conceivably wield imperial power for just ends."

Stoller: "Yes, you could build a global order that has a lot of beneficial things." Stoller then argues against calling the US "hegemonic", saying the US has done "a lot" of "good"

. @matthewstoller is an imperialist: "If the only thing you do is look at the Vietnam War and say that& #39;s all [the US] did from 1945-90, you& #39;re going to miss out on the fact that Europe was peaceful"

"The US has given up an enormous amount to play this public goods provider role"

. @matthewstoller on the US: "This is not a hegemonic system, this is a global set of arrangements that largely other countries are cool with. Yes we have 145 bases around the world but it& #39;s not like we& #39;re an occupying power. Those countries are fine with having US troops there."