16 ways the American Empire shaped Cursed Mage

Vimsinew is the superpower nation in the Catenarian Chronicles and one solely based on the American Empire in so many ways and forms.

The United States doesn’t need to plant flags or crown emperors to qualify as an empire. It never had to. Its weapons are subtler, it’s got military bases instead of colonies, debt traps instead of chains, and ideological exports dressed up as “freedom.”

Yet somehow, despite the global footprint, the toppling of foreign governments, the economic coercion, and the cultural domination, millions still cling to the illusion that America is just another nation-state playing fair on the world stage.

They’re wrong. And not just by opinion. Every historical, military, and geopolitical metric that has ever defined empire drives it home.

Whereas Rome had legions and Britain had redcoats, the American Empire has drones, dollar diplomacy, and forward operating commands that carve up the planet like a flowchart. We’re living under a modern empire; one so effective that many of its own citizens don’t recognize it as such.

If Vimsinew, the superpower nation in my libertarian dark paranormal fantasy series, is a force in the world I’m about to examine, it’s not entering a world of equals. The same global empire that insists on calling itself a democracy while behaving like a global landlord shapes this dystopian landscape that’s subjected to mass surveillance.

Here are 16 ways the American Empire thrives and the Vimsinewian Empire follows its blueprint.

1 – It divides the world into military zones

The U.S. military has combatant commands that split the entire planet into spheres of responsibility (CENTCOM, AFRICOM, etc.), treating Earth like it’s a corporate asset under management. In the world of Catenary, Vimsinew does the same thing, which is implied multiple times in Catenarian Chronicles series.

2 – It maintains a massive global footprint

America has 750-plus military bases in over 80 countries, many of which house permanent garrisons and weapons systems. These bases serve no defensive or “humanitarian” purpose; they exist to enforce dominance. Over in Vimsinew, they have Mage-run outposts all over the world, keeping an eye on the world’s Mages.

3 – It controls world debt through loans

Via the IMF, World Bank, and petrodollar system, the U.S. traps developing nations in endless debt cycles while using aid as leverage to force policy changes. Vimsinew does the same with its own currency, the kronor.

4 – It spreads its culture like the plague

Hollywood, Netflix, fast food, fashion, and sports are all exported globally, reshaping cultural values to resemble American ones. This is soft-power imperialism masked as entertainment. As for Vimsinew, every prominent athlete, actor, singer, and everything in between, are global icons.

5 – It controls the world’s communications

From satellites to internet infrastructure, the U.S. can spy, sabotage, or censor global communication systems. “Global” platforms like Google and Facebook answer to Washington first, something the COVID crisis drove home. As for Vimsinew, it uses arcane surveillance and mind-bonded thought-control networks through Spirit Mages. Why do you think they go after rare Maalivahtis, who can control spirit along with a classical or niche element?

6 – It dominates global trade and currency

The U.S. dollar is the world’s reserve currency. Nations must buy oil and settle debts in dollars, giving America enormous leverage over global economies. The same thing rings true for Vimsinew in the Catenarian Chronicles. 

7 – It topples governments to protect its interests

Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Chile (1973), Iraq (2003)… the list goes on. If a leader resists U.S. hegemony, the CIA or military often ensures their downfall. In Chapter 1 of Cursed Mage, I let the reader in just a little Vimsinewian activity over in the Middle Eastern equivalent nation of Demka. And as I update this piece, guess what America’s doing in Iran right now…

8 – It uses education as indoctrination

U.S.-funded NGOs and think tanks spread Western academic frameworks to other nations, displacing local traditions and languages. When you read between the lines, what Kaija and Satu “learn” at Fenn University, odds are, students outside Vimsinew are “learning” the same thing.

9 – It weaponizes information and narrative

Through media monopolies and intelligence leaks, the U.S. frames enemies, controls public opinion, and manufactures consent for war and regime change. You see this on a domestic scale in Cursed Mage’s two-year prequel, Deceived Mage. And you can bet your ass it’s happening on a global scale.

10 – It polices the sky and seas

With its carrier strike groups, global radar net, and drone fleets, America can strike anywhere, anytime. Sovereignty means nothing when airspace is just another zone of control. In Vimsinew, skyborne patrol units and Mage constructs raze distant regions with no warning.

11 – It keeps its subjects dependent

Foreign nations are locked into reliance on U.S. military protection, financial aid, and technological infrastructure. This is sheer dependency. Vimsinew does this with Mage protection pacts between it and those foreign nations’ governments.

12 – It experiments on its own people first

From MK-Ultra to Tuskegee, America tests its most invasive techniques on its own population before exporting them abroad under the guise of “development.” In Vimsinew, those notorious institutions are testing grounds for inhumane human experimentation.

13 – It criminalizes dissent both at home and abroad

Whistleblowers like Julian Assange and Edward Snowden find themselves (previously) imprisoned or exiled, the mainstream demonizes anti-war voices, and the US is notorious for intervening in foreign protest movements. Iran, anyone? In Vimsinew, if you’re a whistleblower, they’re giving you a one-way ticket to an institution.

14 – It hides behind noble intentions

Democracy, freedom, and human rights are marketing slogans for global domination. Empires rarely admit they’re empires because, well, why would they? They claim to be liberators, and they’re lying their asses off in the process. While the American Empire believes in “peace through force,” peace that never comes, the Vimsinewian Empire also has a slogan: unification through order.

15 – It’s outlasted republican ideals

Like Rome, the U.S. began as a republic but now functions as a managerial oligarchy with unelected bureaucrats, corporate lobbies, and intelligence agencies wielding power and calling the shots. In Vimsinew, there’s one character who symbolizes all of this. And if you’ve read my other series, you may’ve met them.

16 – It doesn’t need colonies. It only needs a system

America doesn’t need to hold territory. It owns supply chains, sets global standards, and ensures all alternatives are punished or isolated. This is hegemony, not geography.

As for Vimsinew? Its Mage-developed coding system keeps the rest of the world in check. Since Moors – non-magic people – comprise most of the world of Catenary, they don’t know the extent they’re being played.

Now comes the burning question: Are you ready to experience the Vimsinewian Empire itself? While Cursed Mage is less about the macro and more about the micro, imperialism isn’t center stage. But, as the series progresses and Kaija Jokiharju pulls back the layers, the empire will ultimately reveal its ugly head.

So, get Cursed Mage, today, and help Kaija peel back those layers. And, as always, if you buy directly through my online store, you’re saving some dough. Get Cursed Mage.

Every claim here is backed by historical data, declassified documents, or observable current policy. Empire doesn’t require conquest anymore—it only needs compliance.