资本主义帝国——埃伦·M·伍德对美国的解读

伍德认为,"美国是第一个也是迄今为止惟一的一个资本主义帝国",它与传统帝国不同,属于新的帝国。传统帝国的统治模式是殖民主义,超经济手段(军事征服、政治统治)成为帝国统治的主导力量。新的帝国的统治模式是资本主义,纯经济手段(资本原则、市场机制)剥离于超经济手段,成为美帝国主义统治的主导力量。伍德还认为,由于资本的特性,美国在全球化背景下比以往更加需要民族国家,因此在经济和军事两个方面都加强了对民族国家的控制,形成了一个等级制的全球国家体系。她特别提到了美国目前出现的"无限战争"战略,认为这也是为维护美国的霸权服务的。

Capitalist Empire——Ellen Meiksins Wood's Interpretation of the U.S.A

In Ellen Meiksins Wood's opinion,the U.S.A is the first capitalist empire in the history and is the only one at present.The U.S.A,a new empire,is different from the traditional empire.The traditional empire,whose mode of rule is colonialism,controls its world through super-economic measures,namely,political and military measures.Super-economic measures become the pillar of the traditional empire.The new empire,whose mode of rule is capitalism,controls its world through pure economic measures,namely,capital and marketable measures.Pure economic measures become the pillar of the new empire.Ellen Meiksins Wood also thinks that the U.S.A,against the background of globalization,needs national countries much more than ever before because of its capitalist nature.So,the U.S.A controls national countries in economic and military fields so firmly that a hierarchical system of national countries has been formed in modern world.Ellen wood specially notes that the "endless war" is a new military strategy of the U.S.A.She believes that the "endless war" also serves the U.S hegemony.