For example, several European states house US nuclear weapons. [1] Japan serves as an outpost against China and North Korea. [2] "Currently South Korean forces would fall under United States control should the war resume. This war time control is planned to revert to South Korea in 2020." [3]
And Vietnam? The south was lead by a series of military governments during the war, which the US was apparently willing to accept. Sure, they pressured for elections, but in the meantime, fighting Communism was more important. [4]
I wouldn't call the US an empire, but they're not exactly a selfless force of protection either.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan%E2%80%93United_States_re...
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea%E2%80%93United_Sta...
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Vietnam#1963.E2.80.9373
"According to an annual report titled Allied Contributions to the Common Defense published by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2004, Japan provided direct support of $3.2 billion (about ¥366 billion) and indirect support worth $1.18 billion, offsetting as much as 74.5 percent of the total cost.... [in 2017] It said Japan will pay ¥192 billion in the current fiscal year in direct support. U.S."
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/01/31/national/much-j...
(1) Note that this article is _explicitly_ about changing the dollar-backed oil trading arrangements we have had up until now and even has the phrase “new world order” in the title.
(2) Another article[0] on the front page at the moment discusses the economic implications of the current rising inequality with “How do those who have less than nothing keep giving to the rich? Simple: they go deeper into debt, deeper into negative wealth. But how can that be sustained over a long time? Debts don’t need to be paid off, but they do need to be serviced.” The answer is historically speaking is with revolution.
Put (1) and (2) together and you do have a bit of a situation you must admit, no? Is it the phrase 'American Empire' that is being objected to? Fair enough, that's a bit of rhetoric on my part but American Imperialism[1] has got its own (rather long) Wikipedia page.
Disagree all you want but tell me why you disagree rather than thumbing that down button :)
[0] https://ergodicityeconomics.com/2017/08/14/wealth-redistribu...
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_imperialism
edit: explaining the motivation for posting a follow-up