Americans frequently use the terms progressive, liberal, and radical without understanding their historical and political contexts. Each movement diverged from older American republican principles, with distinct characteristics: Teddy Roosevelt's Anglo-Protestant progressives fought against trusts and restricted immigration; Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson's secular liberals advanced state capitalism and civil rights; and the 1960s radicals opposed the Great Society and the Vietnam War. Rather than a seamless evolution, each movement emerged in response to criticisms of its predecessor. This work clarifies the nuances of progressivism, liberalism, and radicalism within the broader history of ideas. However, the narrative of the Global American Empire includes both its rise and decline. The 1960s revolution created a class divide, as elites from both sides turned against the industrial middle class, establishing an oligarchy domestically and promoting globalization internationally. While radicals entrenched themselves in bureaucracy and academia, neoliberal elites embraced monopoly capitalism, open borders, and outsourcing. The resulting economic and military failures led to a legitimacy crisis. During Barack Obama's second term, American oligarchs aligned with Identity Politics, exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and insurrection myths to erode citizens' rights. Today, a kleptocracy of corrupt and incompetent rulers threat
