The US is not a hegemon at all, but an imperialist power-an empire.  While the US may not have formal colonies like the empires of the past, it is still able to pursue imperialism through its massive military juggernaut and control of the world’s financial institutions. America possesses what Chalmers Johnson called an “empire of military bases,” which are located in dozens of countries across the world and provide the US with, as Jonathan Freedland puts it, ‘the same global muscle it would enjoy if it ruled those countries directly.’[16] This coupled with its entrenched military-industrial complex allows the US to contain rivals, maintain strategic control of resources (particularly oil), and to militarily intervene in countries that threaten its imperial “interests.” The US has also shaped and structured the international political economy in a way that has given it effective control of the global institutions which ensure it remains the pre-eminent power. This is not indicative of a ‘benign’ hegemon, but a modern Rome.[17]  [16] Freedland, Jonathan (2002). “Rome, AD... Rome, DC?”, The Guardian, September 18, 2002.  , Accessed 16th May, 2011.  [17] Wade, Robert (2002), “The American Empire,” The Guardian, 5th January, 2002.