Not since the rise of the Roman Empire has a single country amassed such military and economic power, and with these an unprecedented capacity for good or evil, as the United States. The rise of the American empire is unprecedented in that it is not based on conquest and contro

In his forthcoming State of the Union address to the joint session of the Congress, President Bush will undoubtedly boast about his administration's achievements during the past two years. But, try as he may to put the best possible spin on a number of major foreign policy issues