NEW HAVEN: In the wake of September 11, 2001, American political observers have adopted a surprising newpiece of conventional wisdom: the United States has become an imperial power, and a global one at that. Theold left-wing epithet "American imperialism" has become a term of approbation on the right and amongmany in the center. Exhibit A would be the overthrow of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, and exhibit Bwould be the occupation of Iraq. Beyond that new consensus, however, opinion has remained quite wildlydivided. I count at least five radically diverging views.