To the Point

Is America an Empire in Denial?

George W. Bush insists that America has never been an empire. During his presidential campaign he said, -We may be the only great power in history that had the chance and refused.- He now asserts that -Americans, following a battle, want nothing more than to return home,- But the United States has at least 725 military bases in 140 other countries, and lots of new ones just since September 11. It-s nation-building in Afghanistan, peace-making in the Middle East, and occupying Iraq. Both supporters and critics of the Bush administration are asking if that-s not Empire, what is? Is it time to push out or pull back? We weight the consequences of America-s global domination with British historian Niall Ferguson, Asia specialist Chalmers Johnson, and journalist Michael Elliott of Time and William Kristol of the Weekly Standard. Making News: Powell Trying to Salvage Road Map Since the Middle East peace summit two weeks ago, 27 Israelis and 40 Palestinians have been killed. Today, Secretary of State Colin Powell met with the leaders of both sides in an effort to rescue the -road map.- Newsweek correspondent Dan Ephron looks at the obstacles that Powell's reproof of the militant group Hamas pose for Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and the message it sends to Arab and European leaders. Reporter's Notebook: The Life of a Bounty Hunter Max Factor-fortune heir Andrew Luster, who jumped bail during his trial for drugging and raping three women, was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 124 years. Yesterday, he was captured in Mexico and returned to the US. Now, the man who nabbed him is as famous as the fugitive he bagged, and it's -Dog- Chapman who-s in a Mexican prison. Tad Friend, who profiled bounty hunter Mackenzie Green for the New Yorker, looks at the life of this colorful breed.