Heh, let me think.

Going as far back as possible. There was Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire (Pax Romana), the Mongolian Empire, the British Empire.

So what do they have in common? They all spanned large areas of land and were some of the greatest times in history. Cultural exchanges that occurred and each empire’s greatness was glorified.

Why does this interest me?

Was in class today. We were discussing little Singapore. I wonder if it will too, become an ‘empire’ one day. Singapore is one of the most efficiently run countries in the world today. It’s like all the examples I listed above. It is a one party state, much like the emperors or the kings and queens before, so it’s kinda like absolute rule.

But wait a sec. Singapore is such a small little island, so how can I call it an ‘empire’. Just like the small British isles managed to conquer half a world before it, Singapore does not have a mighty military to back up these ‘expansions and conquests’. Instead, Singapore uses it’s financial power to slowly purchase stakes in conglomerates overseas. Increasing its stake in other economies worldwide allows it to gain a foothold in the world. Today’s world is, afterall, governed by money.

Heh, it is a different way to look at this small, vulnerable country.