1) claiming dominion to the entire world, implied by over 800 military bases in over 70 countries, implied by a "central command" pertaining to the middle-east

1) claiming dominion to the entire world, implied by over 800 military bases in over 70 countries, implied by a "central command" pertaining to the middle-east and central asia 2) political grandstanding using the supposedly neutral mechanism of courts (grand jury trials...) to push political agendas and punish leaking in leiu of the actual malfeasance leaked about 3) unilateral sanctions that require 3rd party nations to comply with the USA's wishes over who it does and doesn't do business with. Said Huawei executive awaiting extradition from Canada to the USA is facing 30 years for trading with the Iranians against the US wishes. 4) claims of exemption from internationalism, the International Criminal Court, and general specialness with regards to following the rules-based structures many of which the US was initially instrumental in forming. 5) Establishing an international order of overtly authoritarian leaders while paying lip service to democracy. See Egypt (Mubarak and now his former general, Sisi) and Kissingers work with Pinochet and Allende for classic examples. The US is arguably one of the most authoritarian nations on earth, trading in the pure hypocrisy of outright lying and denial when confronted with the reality of it's empire. It's not a bloodless empire nor even very stable, by former imperial standards. It's certainly an empire, and thus authoritarian by definition. See "etymology" of the word "authority"